Fiji, Singapore and other major holiday destinations in the Asia-Pacific region will soon remove even more travel restrictions for Australians.
It comes as the Health Minister Greg Hunt announced that people will no longer have to take a COVID-19 test before boarding a flight to Australia.
These are among the final barriers that have prevented Australians from travelling easily during the pandemic.
As the region pushes to live with COVID, here’s a roundup of all the new travel opportunities a stone’s throw from Australian shores.
Fiji
Fiji is the latest country to scrap quarantine restrictions for Australian travellers as the region continues to open up.
From April 7, vaccinated visitors will no longer have to quarantine for three nights at government-approved accommodation.
“Anybody from anywhere in the world, as long as they are vaccinated, can come to Fiji,” the country’s economics minister Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum told FBC.
“The most important thing we highlighted is that visitors need to be vaccinated.”
Additionally, masks will no longer be mandatory in the country and density limits will be removed from this weekend.
“The timing for the Fijian government’s decision to relax entry requirements could not be better as we head into the best time of year to visit Fiji,” said Fiji Airways director and CEO Andre Viljoen.
Singapore
From April 1, fully vaccinated visitors to Singapore will no longer need to quarantine either.
Australia was among the first countries included in the Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) scheme last year.
This required passengers to book specific VTL flights, to quarantine for a specified time, and to take several COVID tests after arriving.
All travellers will need to do from April 1 onwards is present a negative pre-departure COVID test.
Now that quarantine requirements have been scrapped, shorter trips and weekends away will be more feasible.
Bali
Flights from Australia to Bali recently resumed after a two-year hiatus.
Under the initial arrangement, travellers still needed to be vaccinated and spend three nights quarantining at an approved resort.
But as of Monday, March 21, travellers no longer need to quarantine at all.
This border policy has also been extended to the rest of Indonesia.
Malaysia
Malaysia will reopen to international visitors on April 1, with no requirement for vaccinated travellers to quarantine.
The Malaysian government says it’s part of “the transition to the endemic phase”.
Travellers arriving from Australia and most other countries will still have to take a COVID test two days before departure, and another one within 24 hours of touching down.
“We believe this decision will boost our economy and help revive our ailing tourism sector,” Prime Minister Ismail Sabri added.
New Zealand
Earlier in March, the Kiwi government announced an expedited border reopening plan with Australia at the front of the line.
Vaccinated Australians will be allowed to enter New Zealand from April 13.
Overdue family reunions will be a big contributor to trans-Tasman trips, however, the ski season will also bolster the destination’s appeal.
Data shows Australians are keen to get back to New Zealand.
Searches on airfare booking site Skyscanner jumped 58 per cent in the week after the announcement.
The most popular period for travel is over the Easter break.
Tahiti
The impending reopening of New Zealand’s borders to Australian travellers means it will soon also be practical to visit the islands of Tahiti, in French Polynesia.
Unlike most Pacific islands, French territories in the region did not close their borders to the rest of the world.
However, there were no flights from Australia or New Zealand.
Flights to Tahiti from Auckland with Air Tahiti Nui are set to resume on May 5.
Air New Zealand will follow on July 6, providing an easier connection with Australia.
