Australian Home Affairs Minister says reopening of borders to international tourists is 'very close'

International tourists could return to Australia in the coming weeks, with Federal Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews describing the decision as imminent, pending final health advice.

Explaining that the reopening of Australia’s borders to international tourists is a "priority", Minister Andrews told the ABC that the Federal Government's national security committee will meet today to discuss the issue and the latest information from health experts.

Minister Andrews told the Insiders program earlier today "we don't have all of the information that we need to be able to take the decision to open, but we are very close."

With the nation's international borders largely closed international visitors for almost two years, the tourism industry - hit hard by both the drop in revenue from overseas visitors and domestic border closures - is keen for borders to reopen.

The Federal Government has already received preliminary advice that some international arrival restrictions are no longer necessary, given high vaccination rates across the country.

The ABC reported that Omicron case numbers are beginning to decline in almost all jurisdictions, apart from Western Australia, although the number of deaths remains high.

There are calls for the country to fully reopen to tourists and to allow all visa holders to enter and leave the country without the need for exemptions.

Minister Andrews said international tourists who do not meet the COVID-19 safety precautions could be deported, drawing comparisons to tennis star Novak Djokovic's case.

She added “to be able to enter Australia, if you are a non-Australian, you need to have a valid visa and you need to demonstrate that you are fully vaccinated or that you have medical evidence to say that you cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons.

"If you speak, specifically, about Mr Djokovic, the issue was he couldn't prove that he had a medical reason for not being vaccinated."