Australia welcomes its first wave of international visitors

There are several reasons for travelers to be excited about Australia fully reopening its borders

According to the NSW Government, the first wave of foreign visitors has arrived, following the reopening of national borders. Around 5,000 passengers passed through Sydney International Airport today, arriving from Canada, Fiji, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, and the United States.

The Australian hotel industry has definitely learned its lesson after being closed for more than two years. According to Commercial Real Estate, industry leaders are determined to recover lost ground.

David Mansfield, the vice-president and managing director of the Accommodation Association, told a seminar held last Thursday that “It will get better, it has to get better, it must get better.” He added that “Investment in the long term and medium term of our industry has been firm; we’ve had new hotels coming to the market, and now the international borders are lifting. Travel is critical to the world’s wellbeing. We need to travel; it’s good for our minds. We all yearn for emotional experiences, and that’s why our industry is going to get bigger and better. It’s going to take off.”

By 2023, it is estimated that the rate of recovery for hotels would vary by city, with Brisbane, Perth, the Gold Coast, Canberra, and Darwin performing better. Sydney and Melbourne will take longer to recover than other cities because of their high occupancy rates, high reliance on tourists and corporate travelers, and significant new supply coming online prior to the pandemic.

More: Australia reopens its borders on 21 February

There are several reasons for travelers to be excited about Australia fully reopening its borders.

International visitors can now go to new attractions such as Crown Sydney, the first six-star hotel in Sydney, take a five-day tour on the Larapinta Trail, and explore the Great Barrier Reef by joining the Lady Musgrave Experience. 

All overseas visitors to Australia must show proof of being fully vaccinated. Unvaccinated visitors are still required to apply for a travel exemption and stay in a hotel for seven days to be allowed to enter Australia.

The Property Report editors wrote this article. For more information, email: [email protected].