The Australian Retailers Association (ARA) has welcomed the reopening of Australia's international borders.
The news – announced by the Federal Government this week – is welcome news to retailers who are reliant on tourism spending.
According to the ARA, international visitors spent approximately $45 billion in 2018-19 before the pandemic hit and borders were shut.
"This has been a long time coming, after more than 700 days cut off from the rest of the world," ARA CEO Paul Zahra said.
"It’s critical to business confidence that we remain consistent in our plans to reopen and stay open.
"Whilst this is a positive step in our COVID recovery, it will take years for international travel patterns to return to anywhere near pre-pandemic levels.
"It means a slow and staggered recovery rather than an immediate snap back to the way things were in 2019," he said.
Zahra said that to subsidise the short-fall, governments should also focus on encouraging local consumers back into CBDs across the country.
"The revitalisation of our CBDs needs to remain a key focus as the return of international tourists, students and workers aren’t silver bullet solutions.
"We need to incentivise people back to our city centres, back to the office and back enjoying the cultural attractions which make a trip to the city an unrivalled experienced.
"It’s also important that the states and territories are aligned in their approach to managing overseas arrivals.
"We’re going to repel tourists if they have to go into quarantine for several days.
"Western Australia remains a roadblock to our global positioning with its border remaining closed.
"We call on the WA State Government to set a date for the reopening, so the country is united in its approach to living with COVID," he said.
Australia will reopen to all fully vaccinated visa holders, tourists, business travellers, and other visitors from 21 February 2022.