Australia: cruise ships allowed again after two years of ban

The Pacific Explorer, the first ship to dock in Sydney Harbor since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.

AFP - SAEED KHAN

Text by: RFI Follow

1 min

After a two-year ban, cruise ferries are once again welcome in Australia.

They had been banned from staying when the country, then engaged in a zero Covid strategy, had closed its borders to foreigners, before reopening them to tourists last February.

The return of cruise passengers also represents a major windfall for the tourism sector.

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With our correspondent in Sydney

,

The first vessel of this size to moor in Sydney Harbor for over two years arrived on Monday morning.

But the

which arrived after crossing 18,000 kilometers from Cyprus, did not have a single passenger on board.

He will not really resume his tourist activities until May 31, when he heads for Brisbane, the capital of Queensland.

The news is also welcomed with enthusiasm by tourism professionals, this activity bringing in

3.5 billion euros per year.

But

also arouse the concern of part of the population, because it was on one of these ships that one of the first clusters appeared in Australia.

A source of contamination having led to the appearance of a hundred cases and also responsible for the death of 30 people.

This is why the rules on board will remain strict with the obligation to be vaccinated and the presentation of a negative test to be able to board.

It will also be necessary to wear a mask and scrupulously respect the rules of social distancing.

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• Australia

• Coronavirus

• Tourism