Australia is to reopen its border to international business travellers and tourists from February 21.

In a statement today (Monday), Prime Minister Scott Morrison said with improving health conditions and a recent 23% decline in Covid hospitalisations Australia is ready to further progress the staged reopening of its international border.

“If you’re double vaccinated, we look forward to welcoming you back,” he said.

“Visa holders who are not fully vaccinated will still require a valid travel exemption to enter Australia, and will be subject to state and territory quarantine requirements.”

Qantas Chief Executive Alan Joyce said the airline would be ramping up its schedules accordingly.

“We will be looking at our schedules to see if we can restart flights from more international destinations sooner or add capacity to those routes we are already flying. We have the flexibility to ramp up flights in response to demand,” he said.

Jo Sully, American Express Global Business Travel Vice President and Regional General Manager Asia Pacific, added: “Business travel is the backbone of our global economy – the engine room of commerce and a vital connector of cultures. Re-opening the border signals Australia’s return to world stage. We are open for international business, ready to help clients, colleagues, partners and suppliers re-connect across the global community.

“Over the past two years, the industry has helped essential workers and business professionals get where they need to be. Our collective commitment to safety and wellbeing remains paramount – giving us the agility to keep travel managers and travellers informed and supported every step of the way.”

Visitors to Australia must still abide by rules set by individual states.

At present, vaccinated travellers entering most Australian states will still need a negative PCR test three days before their flight or a supervised rapid test 24 hours before departure to avoid having to quarantine on arrival.