After being cooped up for the better part of two years, many Australians are understandably desperate to jump on a plane bound for foreign shores.
Several of the nation’s favourite holiday spots have been out of bounds due to COVID-19 restrictions, but everywhere you look, border restrictions are being lifted.
Here are some destinations Aussies can soon enjoy.
Thailand
Thailand will drop the last of its pandemic-related travel rules from October 1.
Travellers won’t have to show proof of vaccination or antigen test results.
Thailand has reclassified COVID-19 from “a dangerous communicable disease” to “a communicable disease under surveillance”.
In a statement to Travel + Leisure, director of the Tourism Authority of Thailand’s New York office Santi Sawangcharoen said the new rules “further simplify the ability for all to experience the vibrant culture, cuisine and natural beauty of amazing Thailand”.
“We’re hopeful that easing the arrival process will encourage travellers to plan their visits, resulting in a resurgence to Thailand’s tourism,” Mr Sawangcharoen said.
“The ‘Land of Smiles’ is eager and excited to welcome travellers to experience all the beloved destinations across Thailand just as easily as they used to.”
Canada
Canada will also relax travel restrictions at the end of September.
From October 1, all travellers, regardless of citizenship, will no longer have to:
- Submit public health information through a mobile app or website
- Provide proof of vaccination
- Undergo testing before, or on, arrival
- Carry out COVID-related quarantine or isolation, and
- Monitor and report if they develop signs or symptoms of COVID-19 upon arrival.
“As Canadians and international visitors look to make travel plans, the long-awaited removal of all remaining measures effective October 1, 2022, will further expedite recovery for our industry and the Canadian economy,” Canada’s second-largest carrier WestJet Airlines stated.
Samoa
Earlier this week, acting Prime Minister Tuala Tevaga Iosefo Ponifasio announced the removal of all COVID-19 travel restrictions.
The easing comes nearly two months after the Pacific island reopened its borders to international travellers on August 1.
Samoa Tourism Authority CEO Pativaine Petaia-Tevita said: “We welcome the easing of restrictions for all international guests. Since our borders reopened in August, we’ve enjoyed welcoming travellers, friends and family safely back to the country.
“Throughout the pandemic, we have continually reassessed health and safety measures to keep our communities safe, with the last two months proving Samoa can welcome international tourism back to its shores with confidence.”
Hong Kong
From this week, travellers arriving in Hong Kong will no longer need to quarantine in a hotel – a policy that has been in place for more than two years.
Instead, the city will implement a policy in which travellers must self-monitor for symptoms for three days and can do so from home, CNN reported.
They will be able to go outside during this time, but are restricted from certain places like bars and restaurants.
“The new arrangements mark Hong Kong’s reopening as a tourism gateway with significant international connections,” Hong Kong Tourism Board chairman Dr Pang Yiu-kai said.
“The new arrangements will allow greater convenience and flexibility for travellers.”
Taiwan
Taiwan will open its borders from October 13.
Authorities will scrap the current requirement that arrivals quarantine in hotels for three days, followed by four days of self-monitoring.
People arriving in Taiwan will need to self-monitor for symptoms for seven days.
“It has finally come to the final moment of the pandemic,” President Tsai Ing-wen wrote on her Facebook page.
“Now, we must make every effort to revive tourism, stimulate the economy and lead Taiwan’s economy to develop by leaps and bounds.”
Japan
Japan’s strict border measures will ease from early October.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida recently announced that from October 11, the country would restore individual tourism and visa-waiver travel to people from countries, expected to include Australia, as long as they are vaccinated.
Japan will also scrap its daily cap on arrivals, currently set at 50,000.
Mr Kishida’s announcement followed a pledge he made in May that Japan would bring its border controls more in line with other Group of Seven nations.
“We are a nation that has flourished through the free flow of people, goods and capital,” Mr Kishida said.
“COVID-19, of course, interrupted all of these benefits, but from October 11, Japan will relax border control measures to be on par with the US, as well as resume visa-free travel and individual travel.”
According to IBISWorld data, international departures plummeted over the two years through 2020-21, due to the COIVD-19 pandemic.
In monthly terms, international departures by Australians reached a low of 8070 in August 2020, during Victoria’s second wave of the pandemic.
International travel by Australians is expected to increase by more than 360 per cent in 2022-23 to 7.28 million departures.
This increase is substantial, but international departures are expected to remain below pre-COVID levels.
