Australians worried about being blanked by Bali can look forward to the doors being flung open by another Aussie fave.
The announcement this week that Fiji will begin reopening to international travellers in December should have thousands rejoicing and shouting ‘Bula!’.
Fiji’s Prime Minister, Frank Bainimarama, said the country’s borders would reopen to international visitors once the nation hit its 80 per cent fully vaccinated population target.
Travellers from Australia, New Zealand, the US, the UK, the United Arab Emirates, Canada, Qatar, Germany, Spain, France, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, Switzerland, Japan, and most Pacific Island countries will be able to visit from 1 December.
“To our friends in Australia and New Zealand, and to the residents of other countries we’re preparing to welcome, our message is simple: Fiji is ready to welcome you back to our shores,” said Mr Bainimarama.
“We are entirely confident in our ability to manage the risk associated with quarantine-free travel. Our planes are prepared, our airports are adapted. Every Fijian hotel and tour operator in Fiji will be certified under the Care Fiji Commitment program.
“And our people’s world-renowned hospitality is as wonderful as you all remember. Our first scheduled tourism flight to the country – on Fiji Airways – will be on 1 December.”
Read: The Fiji you won’t see from a resort
Fiji Airways will resume flights between Sydney and Nadi from the morning of 1 December and will launch 14 flights a week from Sydney (twice a day).
Daily flights from Melbourne and Brisbane will resume soon after.
Qantas and Virgin Australia will resume flights to Fiji from 19 December and 23 December respectively.
To enter Fiji, travellers must be fully vaccinated by a ‘travel partner’ country – defined as one with high vaccination rates and low-test positivity rates.
Luckily, Australia fits the bill.
Read: Chatting with the Captain of the Reef Endeavour
Travellers will also need to provide a negative COVID test taken within three days of departure and will be required to take another test prior to returning home.
“It’s been almost two years since we welcomed international visitors. And in these two years, we’ve struggled, we’ve adapted and we’ve prepared,” said Fiji’s Minister for Tourism, Faiyaz Koya.
“We are ready to let happiness find you again.”
Fijian resorts and villas will progressively reopen throughout 2022.
Read: Why are Fijians so happy?
It is expected that Prime Minister Scott Morrison will lift the national ban on overseas travel next month, allowing fully vaccinated Australians to leave the country without exemption.
Australian citizens and permanent residents would also be able to quarantine at home for seven days upon return.
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