21 Feb 2022
International Visitors Welcomed Back
The NSW Government has welcomed the first wave of international visitors following today’s reopening of national borders.
Around 5000 passengers across 27 flights will pass through Sydney International Airport today, arriving from USA, Japan, Singapore, Canada, New Zealand and Fiji.
Amid celebrations at Sydney International Airport, where arrivals were greeted with music and imagery from the Destination NSW Feel New tourism campaign, NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet said the return of overseas visitors would boost tourism, investment and trade.
“Millions of people around the world dream of visiting Sydney and our regional areas, it’s great to see the planes return and their dreams coming true,” Mr Perrottet said.
“We are investing more than $530 million into the sector as part of our tourism and events recovery package. This ensures visitors get to experience the very best of what NSW has to offer.”
Minister for Enterprise, Investment and Trade, Minister for Tourism and Sport and Minister for Western Sydney Stuart Ayres said the timing could not be better for international visitors to return to NSW and be reinvigorated.
“NSW is the best place in the world to visit, study, invest and do business and late summer and early autumn is the perfect time to experience the unique outdoor and cultural lifestyle Sydney and NSW are famous for,” Mr Ayres said.
“We have an incredible calendar of world-class events lined up from Australian premieres of hit productions, to World Cup qualifiers and our internationally-renowned Vivid Sydney, on top of remarkable natural wonders that extend from spectacular coastlines, over breathtaking mountain ranges to stunning outback regions.
“For us to reach our ambition to be the premier visitor economy in the Asia Pacific, we need airlines to fly in and for locals and visitors to embrace our world class venues and hospitality, which is why we are investing $60 million to incentivise international airlines to re-commence flights to Sydney through our Aviation Attraction Fund.
“This all about showcasing NSW’s diverse and compelling destinations and experiences and I am delighted our tourism and hospitality operators are now able to extend the warm welcome they have been waiting to offer our overseas friends after two difficult years.”
Prior to COVID-19, NSW’s visitor economy was the largest in Australia, contributing $38 billion and supporting over 100,000 businesses and nearly 300,000 jobs.
All foreign visitors to Australia are required to provide proof that they are double-vaccinated with an approved COVID-19 vaccine.
Unvaccinated travellers are still required to apply for a travel exemption to come to Australia and undergo hotel quarantine for seven days if they are granted permission to enter the country.
MEDIA:
Mike Duffy | Premier | 0400 347 763
Claudia Stevenson | Minister Ayres | 0499 574 053