Western Australia reopens to international tourists

The state was the last in the country to reopen following the pandemic, with Qantas due to switch its non-stop flight from London back to Perth on 19 June after re-routing it to Darwin since November.

Qantas Group chief executive Alan Joyce said it was time for Australia "to move forward with confidence as the world emerges from a Covid travel pause".

“Australia is now finally back together. This day has been a long time coming. It’s a terrific boost to West Australian tourism operators and businesses who will once again benefit from the influx of visitors from the east coast and beyond," he said.

Passengers arriving off the first flights into Perth were given vouchers for tours and experiences in the city funded by Tourism Western Australia.

The vouchers aim to support local businesses impacted by the pandemic and featured tourism experiences including skydiving at Rottnest Island, swimming with dolphins, touring Penguin Island, plus sunset stargazing at the Pinnacles.

Gary Kershaw, Qatar Airways regional manager UK & Ireland, said: “Perth has always been popular with our customers, but since Western Australia announced its opening on 3rd March we’ve seen extraordinary demand with searches up 141% month on month and sales up 332%. It’s our most popular destination in Australia for Brits at the moment.” 
 
Paul Melinis, managing director of APT, the Australian tour and cruise operator, added: “Western Australia is one of our biggest selling antipodean destinations for UK travellers and, as the UK’s principal operator to The Kimberley, we are thrilled to see the state’s borders reopen to international visitors. 

“Our customers have been eagerly awaiting the moment when they can travel to the region again and, since the announcement, both searches and bookings for our tours and expedition cruises in The Kimberley have spiked dramatically.”