Thousands of tourists are set to hit Australia's shores over the next 24 hours as the nation finally opens its international borders for visitors after almost two years, with experts already warning it could bring in an influx of influenza.
From Monday, foreign travellers will be welcomed back Down Under for the first time since the federal government locked down the country on March 20, 2020, as Covid-19 began to spread across the globe.
Excited visitors were already on route to Australia on Sunday night, with 56 flights from the UK, US, Japan, and Canada scheduled to touch down across the country on February 21.
The occasion will be met with celebration for hundreds of people finally able to reunite with loved ones and friends after being separated for 704 days.
However, experts have warned the international arrivals could leave the nation exposed to a surge of influenza cases and are urging Australians to take up the flu jab as soon as possible.
Thousands of inbound travellers (pictured at Sydney Airport) are on their way to Australia as the nation reopens its international borders to foreign visitors for the first time in almost two years
The border reopening will be met with celebration for many Aussies who will be able to reunite with friends and loved ones who are not citizens or permanent residents (pictured, a flight arriving into Sydney Airport)
Some 1.23 million people have applied and already been granted Australian visas as the country reopens to fully-vaccinated travellers as part of the final stage of the nation's Covid response plan.
So far, NSW appears to be the state of choice for the majority of inbound travellers, with 26 of the first round of daily flights bound for Sydney.
The first will arrive at 6.30am at the Harbour City's Kingsford Smith Airport from Los Angeles.
'This is my first time going to visit my best friend, Ally, hey, I'm so excited I can't wait to see her daily life,' an American told 9News from LAX Airport on Sunday night.
'I actually played basketball here for Geelong super cats and I've been trying to get back for the last couple of years. Unfortunately the borders closed,' another American traveller explained.
