Australia's Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced Monday that the country's borders would reopen to tourists on February 21, erasing arguably of the world's tightest and longest-standing pandemic travel restrictions.

"It has been nearly two years since we decided to close the borders to Australia," Morrison said, adding that the crossings will reopen to all visa holders "on February 21 of this year."

"If you have received two doses of vaccination, we look forward to welcoming you back to Australia," he added.

In March 2020, Australia's ports and airports will be closed to tourists to protect the island nation from a looming global epidemic.

Since then, Australians have been essentially banned from leaving, with only a few visitors allowed entry waivers.

The laws have separated families, harmed the country's multibillion-dollar tourism economy, and frequently sparked acrimonious arguments over Australia's openness to the rest of the world.

"It's about time," Melbourne resident Marshall McDonald said. "It's thrilling. It almost feels as if a period of hermit kingdom-ness is drawing to a close."

According to the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, each month of "Fortress Australia" laws costs businesses an estimated US$2.6 billion.

"For 704 days, our borders will be closed to international tourists," the chamber said in a statement. "This decision will aid in the recovery of our floundering tourism sector, preserving businesses and livelihoods."

In recent months, rules for Australians, long-term residents, and students have been gradually reduced.

The most recent ruling will result in the removal of nearly all remaining caps.

It comes after the country abandoned its long-standing "Covid-zero" policy, vaccination rates increased, and the once-famous track-and-trace system failed under the weight of an Omicron outbreak.

Only a few countries, like Japan, China, New Zealand, and numerous Pacific Island states, remain restricted to tourists.

'Pay a visit.'

For Australia's travel and tourist industry, which has struggled as visitor numbers have fallen over 98 percent from pre-pandemic levels, the news is a source of joy.

"We're ecstatic to be reopening," said Tony Walker, managing director of the Quicksilver Group, which conducts cruises, diving, and resorts throughout the Great Barrier Reef.

"The last couple of years have been extremely trying for us," he told AFP, inviting international visitors to "come visit."

During the pandemic, the firm's workforce shrunk from 650 to 300.

Walker predicted that "it will take time to recover" from the previous two years.

Numerous tourism providers throughout Australia face workforce shortages, owing to the low number of backpackers and working holidaymakers visiting.

Despite the announcement, travel restrictions within Australia would remain in place.

Western Australia's enormous state remains inaccessible primarily to non-residents. It is more convenient to travel from Sydney to Paris than it is to travel from Sydney to Perth.