After nearly two years, Australia fully reopened its international borders this week for those fully vaccinated against Covid-19.
Australia has consistently had some of the most restrictive pandemic-related measures in the world, which has hindered its normally bustling tourism and hospitality industries.
Late last year, the country began easing restrictions as vaccination numbers rose and the severity of the virus alleviated.
Tourism employs around 5% of the country’s workforce and is worth over $43 billion, but was debilitated after borders were shut down.
“It is a very exciting day, one that I have been looking forward to for a long time, from the day that I first shut that border right at the start of the pandemic,” said Prime Minister Scott Morrison.
As a result of growing tourism, the country is hoping to make an economic rebound, which will likely be propelled by the growing number of digital nomads and remote workers in the world.