Fiji to open to Australian tourists from December 1

Dust off your passports and pack your swimsuits, because a vaccination milestone means one of Australia’s favourite destinations will open early on December 1.

Fiji will ease Covid-19 restrictions and allow Australians to visit from December, after the country hit a vaccination milestone on Saturday.

Having reached the 80 per cent milestone three weeks early, visitors will still need to meet several Covid-19 safety requirements, including being fully vaccinated and providing a negative PCR test within 72 hours of departure.

Time to get booking for Fiji.

Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama said he was so “grateful” to everyone who had rolled up their sleeves and received the vaccination, allowing Fiji to be able to reopen to the world.

Last month officials said once the target was reached, Fiji would reopen travel for “green list” locations, including Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Canada, South Korea, Singapore, Germany, most Pacific Island countries and parts of the United States.

Fiji will reopen to certain countries on December 1.

“It’s been almost two years since we welcomed international visitors,” said Fiji’s Minister tourism, Faiyaz Koya, said.

“And in these two years, we’ve struggled, we’ve adapted, and we’ve prepared. Today, our national airline is ready, our hotels and tour providers are ready, and Fijians are ready to safely welcome the world back.”

Once in Fiji, visitors will need to stay in designated zones where all contacts, from hospitality staff to tour operators, would be fully vaccinated.

Reviving tourism, which government figures estimate accounts for 40 per cent of Fiji’s economy, is seen as crucial to containing rising poverty in the nation of under one million people.

There’s no better time for an island escape.

Both Jetstar and Qantas announced they will have multiple flights to Fiji from December.

Budget airline Jetstar will operate five weekly flights from 17 December, and four Qantas flights from 19 December — initially providing more than 3200 seats per week between Sydney and the popular South Pacific destination.

Fares are also looking almost as inviting as the blue waters that surround Fiji, with Jetstar seats starting from just $169 one way. Travel periods include late January to early April 2022 and late April to late June 2022.

For Qantas flyers, an all-inclusive fare start at $358 one way.

“Australians will be excited to start planning their first overseas holiday now that international borders are set to open, and both Jetstar and Qantas have seen a significant spike in Fiji flight searches in recent weeks,” Jetstar CEO Gareth Evans said of the reopening.

Jetstar have launched a $169 flight sale to Fiji. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gaye Gerard

Fiji Airways will also recommence their routes with Australia, first launching twice-daily flights from Sydney to Fiji on December 1 (being 14 flights weekly), and daily flights from Melbourne and Brisbane.

“After almost two years of no tourism, we cannot wait to welcome back international travellers from 1st December and greet them with our famous Fijian hospitality,” Fiji Airways Managing Director & CEO Andre Viljoen said.

“We can finally give our Australian friends a big bula welcome on-board our aircraft and safely transport them to a well-deserved holiday in paradise.”

The South Pacific nation was free of Covid for a year before the arrival of the Delta variant in April.

The outbreak’s case numbers peaked in July recording more than 1,200 new infections daily.

Only 40 cases were recorded on Saturday