As international travel starts to take-off for the fully vaccinated, locals are wasting no time in booking their next holiday destinations.
From today Australia’s international border reopened for the first time in some 18 months.
Fully vaccinated Australians will no longer require an exemption or have to apply to the Department of Home Affairs to leave the country, however those who are unvaccinated
will have to wait until at least December 1 to avoid the need for exemptions.
All forms of quarantine for vaccinated travellers entering NSW will also end.
It’s a light at the end of the tunnel for the travel industry, brought to its knees by the pandemic. Many businesses of which were not so lucky to make it out the other side.
For Pendle Hill residents and owners of Zara World Travel, Zahid Hassan and Ismat Jarin, there is now hope after an extremely difficult period.
The pair had to close down their Toongabbie shop front last year and are now running operations from home.
Ms Jarin shed a tear when Prime Minister Scott Morrison first announced international travel would resume.
“When we heard international travel was coming back soon, I cried; after the dark there is always morning,” she said.
Mr Hassan said locals are wasting no time in booking a holiday, with business picking up significantly over the past few weeks.
“Many people are eager to see family and some have had loved ones pass away due to COVID-19, so most people we find are try ing to get over to see family,” he said.
Whether it be discounted flights or cruise packages, Mr Hassan said there are a lot of attractive deals on offer.
For those hesitant to travel just yet, he said a lot of airlines and travel companies are coming to the table with added safety nets to encourage people to book.
Emirates is offering free multi-risk travel insurance and COVID-19 cover, provided by AIG Travel, to all customers who purchase tickets from December 1.
Mr Hassan does warn that travellers will need to pay for COVID-19 PCR tests prior to departure and arrivals, which comes at a cost of about $150 per traveller.
He also recommends, for those who are ready to book, to consider doing so through a travel agent as online scams are circulating.
Troy Dodds is Parra News' Managing Editor and Breaking News Reporter. He has more than 20 years experience as a journalist, working with some of Australia’s leading media organisations. In 2023, he was named Editor of the Year at the Mumbrella Publish Awards.