South Australia has announced its plan to reopen to domestic tourism and ease restrictions – and marking an important step towards the resumption of international tourism.

South Australia will begin by opening its borders to fully vaccinated people from all Australian states and territories on 23 November.

It is the date South Australia is expected to reach the national double vaccination target of 80 per cent and comes earlier than initially expected, thanks to the quick uptake of vaccines by South Australians.

‘As one of the first ‘Covid-free’ states to open to fully-vaccinated travellers in New South Wales and Victoria this is an opportunity for our industry and is a positive step towards welcoming international tourists back,’ says South Australian Tourism Commission chief executive Rodney Harrex.

On 23 November, South Australia’s Covid-Ready Plan also outlines that quarantine for fully vaccinated returning Australians will drop from 14 days to 7 days.

South Australia’s borders will open to fully vaccinated international travellers when its vaccination rate hits 90 per cent (12 years and older) and the Federal Government lifts Australia’s border to international tourism. The state has just hit the 80% first vaccine milestone.

‘With Christmas, the peak summer tourism period and Adelaide’s festival season not too far around the corner – the reopening to domestic and global tourism is a real opportunity for our industry and one that we will take full advantage of,’ Harrex says.

The South Australian Tourism Commission (SATC) has launched a new campaign directed at Kiwis.