There cruise industry has found some light at the end of the pandemic tunnel today with a two-year ban set to be lifted next month.

International cruise ships have been banned from arriving in and departing from Australian ports since March 2020.

The federal government today announced its decision not to renew the ban on large cruising vessels.

There will, however, be a raft of health measures introduced to lower the risk of spreading COVID-19 onboard.

Passengers will need to have received at least two COVID-19 vaccines.

There will also be “enhanced pre-arrival reporting and identification of COVID-19 risk through more questions of passengers”.

Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment Dan Tehan, said the resumption of cruising is an important milestone in the country’s pandemic recovery.

“This is great news for the cruise industry, tourism, the broader economy and the Australians who love to take a cruise holiday,” he said.

Image: Getty