Australia won't welcome international tourists until 2022

The Australian Tourism Export Council, which represents a sector that made $33 billion a year from international tourists before the pandemic, wants international visitors to return by March

International tourists won’t be welcomed back to Australia until next year, with the return of skilled migrants and students given higher priority, the Prime Minister said on October 5.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Australia was expected to reach the vaccination benchmark on October 5 at which the country could begin to open up — 80% of the population aged 16 and older having a second shot.

Last week, he outlined plans to allow vaccinated citizens and permanent residents to fly overseas from November for the first time since an extraordinarily tough travel ban took effect in March last year.