COVID-19: Emotional reunions as Australia opens border to vaccinated tourists
Baku, February 21, AZERTAC
Australia has reopened its borders to vaccinated travellers after almost two years of pandemic-related closures, according to News Sky.
Hundreds of people have been reunited with family and friends, with more than 50 international flights arriving in Australia through the day.
"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," Prime Minister Scott Morrison said during a visit to the island state of Tasmania, which relies heavily on tourism. British tourist Sue Witton, who had not seen her son Simon for two years, was among those who have had emotional reunions.
"Seven hundred and twenty-four days apart and it means the world to me. I don't want to let him go, it's just beautiful. Thank you for having me back. I'm just so grateful, so, so grateful," she told reporters at the Melbourne airport. Tourism is a key industry in Australia, worth more than $60bn (£31.7bn) and employing almost 5% of the country's workforce.
However, the sector has been crippled since international borders were shut in March 2020. Tourism minister Dan Tehan said he is hopeful to see a "very strong" rebound in tourism, with Qantas looking to fly more than 14,000 people into Australia this week.
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