Australia is blocking foreign tourists until at least 2022, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Tuesday.
“We will get to international visitors as well, I believe next year,” Morrison said when discussing lifting more pandemic restrictions, The Associated Press reported.
Australia has had some of the toughest travel restrictions among democracies during the pandemic, with virtually all foreign travel banned since March 2020.
Before lifting restrictions for tourists, Morrison said his government is going to look to get international students and skilled migrants into the country.
The Australian Tourism Export Council wants to have international travel up and running by March of next year, but it is unclear what kind of quarantine rules could remain in place, potentially hindering the tourism industry.
Morrison said he wants “complete quarantine-free travel for certain countries, such as New Zealand, when it is safe to do so.”