Covid-19: after the reopening of its borders, Australia awaits the return of tourists
Audio 01:20
A view of the Sydney Opera House, one of Australia's most touristic spots.
AP - Mark Baker
Text by: RFI Follow
2 mins
For the past few hours, Australia's borders have been open to tourists again, for the first time since March 2020. After spending nearly two years cut off from the world and above all, from their customers, tourism professionals are pleased to be able to welcome them back, without expecting an immediate rebound in their activity either.
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With our correspondent in Sydney,
Grégory Plesse
The sound of the waves and the seagulls, for nearly two years, that's pretty much all we've heard on the Sydney Opera House esplanade.
To the chagrin of David, who a stone's throw away runs an Australian gemstone shop.
The return of tourists
is for him, as for all the merchants in the district, the end of a long crossing of the desert.
“
I feel like a farmer in the Outback after ten years of drought, who finally sees a cloud coming and the rain falling,
he despairs.
When the first flight of tourists arrives, I will go out naked and kneel down, like the peasants do
”.
On the other side of the quay, Mason has just moored his “water taxi”.
While he welcomes the expected return of tourists, he does not believe in a boom, while Australia has held very firm positions vis-à-vis its borders since the start of the pandemic, likely to scare off potential travelers. .
“
Tourists will come back.
But it will take time.
The country has long been cut off from the world and its health policy, quarantine rules for example, are poorly known to the public
, ”he explains.
Another brake on the revival of the sector, the travel constraints which still weigh on the two main reservoirs of tourists in Australia: China and
New Zealand
.
For others, you must present a complete vaccination schedule as well as a negative test to be carried out before boarding.
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