People embrace on arrival at Sydney's International Airport in Sydney, Australia, on Monday morning local time. Photo: Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images
Australia reopened its international border for the first time in nearly two years on Monday.
Why it matters: Australia's borders shut to most non-residents in March 2020, as the pandemic spread across the world.
- The country's tough pandemic policies made headlines last month when world men's tennis no. 1 Novak Djokovic was deported from the country for being unvaccinated.
Details: Foreign travelers who've received two COVID-19 vaccine doses don't need to quarantine.
- "Unvaccinated visa holders will still need to be in an exempt category or hold an individual travel exemption to enter Australia," per an Australian government statement.
- Unvaccinated travelers must pay to stay in isolation at a hotel for up to 14 days, the BBC notes.
By the numbers: Some 9.5 million international visitors traveled to Australia in 2019, according to Tourism Australia.
What they're saying: "The return of double vaccinated international visitors will reinvigorate Australia's tourism sector, that supports 660,000 jobs and contributed $60.4 billion to the economy in 2018-19," per a government statement.
- "The first visitors back in Sydney will be greeted with gifts of Vegemite and toy koalas and kangaroos, an iconic Surf Life Saving crew and a DJ playing Australia's favourite tunes," the statement added.