Tourism Fiji has welcomed the Australian government’s decision to make changes to their pre-departure testing for international arrivals[ File Image]

Tourism Fiji has welcomed the Australian government’s decision to make changes to their pre-departure testing for international arrivals.

Australia will significantly ease its COVID-19 testing requirements for inbound travelers from tomorrow.

Returning travellers will have the option of completing a rapid antigen test (RAT) within 24 hours before their flight, rather than having to take an expensive PCR test within three days as is currently required.

Travellers who catch COVID-19 overseas will, meanwhile, have the wait time reduced from 14 days before they can fly home to seven days.

Tourism Fiji Chief Executive, Brent Hill says this is a significant announcement and will certainly be a game changer for our industry.

“Mainly because a lot of evidence that we were hearing from people were that the cost of testing in Australia and also in Fiji etc was adding extra cost on their holiday. So now with that cost and time taken away and the time spend in isolation also reduced, we think that some of the barriers that were keeping people from coming to Fiji now taken away – it will be fantastic for tourism in Fiji we think.”

Hill adds this is another opportunity for Fiji to let the Australians know that it is easier to travel here now.

He is hopeful this will improve bookings for the lull period.

“The bookings were looking pretty solid from what is normally our high season. So from April, May, June onwards it was looking pretty solid. So what we are hoping that this announcement actually helps with bookings in the next month or so which have been pretty soft largely because of the Omicron challenges around the world.”

Australians make up the highest number of guests that come to Fiji for holiday.