Embrace this: travel without quarantine

A clutch of toy koalas and throngs of hugging teary travellers have signalled the restart of Australia’s international tourism industry.

Loved ones reunite in Sydney after the first flight from Singapore touched down, signalling the start of the travel bubble. Picture: Flavio Brancaleone

A clutch of toy koalas and throngs of hugging teary travellers have signalled the restart of Australia’s international tourism industry after almost two years in a Covid-induced coma.

In a move welcomed by tourism operators, the Australia-Singapore bubble burst into life on Sunday with fully vaccinated visitors from the city state able to arrive into Sydney and Melbourne for a quarantine-free holiday.

While most of the arrivals were reuniting with loved ones rather than heading off to hotels, their delight in the long-awaited easing of restrictions was unrestrained.

To the strains of Men at Work’s Land Down Under, 160 passengers poured into Sydney International Airport’s arrivals hall, where welcome signs, stuffed animals and tissues were in heavy use.

Tourism Australia managing director Phillipa Harrison said the reopening to Singapore was a “significant step forward for international tourism in Australia” after the most brutal shutdown in history.

Although the short-lived trans-Tasman bubble earlier this year saw some tourist traffic, New Zealand was not in the same league as the US, China and Singapore for visitor expenditure.

“Singapore is our sixth largest market and one which has traditionally seen tourists visiting Australia often and spending big,” Ms Harrison said.

“Eight-two per cent of Singapore’s leisure travellers are repeat visitors to Australia, and when they’re here they spend an average $2624 per trip, which is the second highest behind the US.”

Travellers from Singapore Airlines flight number SQ231 arrive in Sydney on Sunday. Picture: Flavio Brancaleone

To stimulate demand and raise awareness that Australia was at last open to business, if only to Singaporeans, a $4m federal government “Yours to Explore” campaign was unveiled in Singapore at the weekend. Tourism Minister Dan Tehan said the campaign would run until June 2022, highlighting the “incredible travel experiences” Australia had to offer.

“Australia wants to attract as many visitors as possible to support our local tourism jobs and businesses as part of our recovery from Covid-19,” Mr Tehan said.

He said the resumption of quarantine-free travel would also build confidence that Australia was “successfully reopening to the world”.

“Our regions, businesses and 650,000 workers supported by tourism are ready and waiting to welcome back foreign visitors,” Mr Tehan said.

“There is pent-up demand for international travel and I’m confident Australia will be one of the most popular destinations in the world for a holiday as we continue our recovery from Covid-19.”

Australian Tourism Export Council managing director Peter Shelley said the two-way bubble with Singapore was “very welcome” by operators who had struggled to survive without international visitors.

But he warned the staff shortage affecting the tourism and hospitality industry could undermine Australia’s reopening to the world.

“We need to look at how to rebuild a skilled and sustainable workforce for the tourism and hospitality industry,” Mr Shelley said.

“They need to find the money now to increase their workforce in order to be ready to deliver the world-class experiences tourists have come to expect from Australia.”

John Yun is greeted by family and friends. He was among Sydney Airport’s first tourist arrivals from Singapore on Sunday. Picture: Jane Dempster

On Monday, Qantas will operate its first international flight out of Melbourne since border restrictions eased, heading to Singapore where fully vaccinated Australians are welcome.

Services to London will restart on Saturday after Qantas pushed them back from the start of the month due to weak demand.

A Singapore Airlines spokesman said they were seeing a steady rise in bookings in and out of Australia as confidence in travel gradually returned.

Jay Lim, wife Liz and their three children relocated to Australia from Singapore three months ago and spent two weeks in hotel quarantine in Perth before flying to Sydney. But grandmother Winnie Ho was able to join them with a minimum of fuss.

“We really weren’t expecting her to be allowed to travel so soon. It’s great to have her here to see the kids,” Mr Lim said.

“I’m so happy to be here, it’s actually my first time coming to Australia,” added Ms Ho. “The process was really smooth.”

Standing tall in gumboots, with a balloon in one hand and toy koala in another, seven-year-old Hiro Xu was unmissable in the emotional throng.

“I can’t wait to see my grandpa and grandma,” he said.

Just as thrilled was the family of John Yun, a Korean-Australian pastor who headed overseas last year on a two-month trip that ended up lasting 15 months.

Daughter Joy, 23, said it was great “to finally be back together as a family”.

Hiro Xu rushes into the arms of his grandmother at Sydney International Airport. Picture: James D. Morgan/Getty Images