Australia is reopening its international borders to fully vaccinated visa holders from 21 February 2022, allowing for luxury yacht charters to famed destinations such as the Kimberley Region, the Great Barrier Reef and the Whitsundays.
GHOST II yacht available for charter in Australia
The measures are part of a staged opening to assist in the economic recovery of Australia and the wider region, with the first international visitors returning from 21 November 2021. Since this time, over 580,000 arrivals have come to work, study or reunite with family.
Visa holders who are not fully vaccinated will require a valid travel exemption to enter Australia and will be subject to state and territory quarantine requirements.
Yacht charters with RUA MOANA yacht
Tourism generated over $60 billion ASD for the Australian economy between 2018-19, and luxury yacht charters are expected to contribute a significant amount to the local economy. Other favourite cruising destinations include Tasmania for its combination of outdoor pursuits, striking natural beauty and wildlife, the Ningaloo Reef and southwestern coast of Australia, and cosmopolitan Sydney for arts, culture and shopping all in a single destination.
Luxury yacht THE BEAST available for charter in Australia
New Zealand is also set to welcome back international travellers with a staged opening from 27 February 2022 to Australia only to allow citizens and residents to return, along with other eligible visitors. New Zealand citizens, residents and other eligible visitors from the rest of the world will be able to enter the country from 13 March 2022, and by October all visa categories will be open from October 2022.
Some other South Pacific destinations are already open to international visitors: Fiji opened from December 2021, Bali from mid-October 2021 and the rest of Indonesia from mid-2022. Other islands are currently closed to international tourism and are monitoring the situation, with the possibility of borders opening closer to the summer tourism season.
