For the first time in two years, international travellers can now fly into Queensland without having to quarantine.

Tourism Tropical North Queensland’s CEO Mark Olsen says it comes as a “great relief” for the tourism industry, specifically in Cairns and the Great Barrier Reef, after 22 months of “global isolation”.

“We’re starting to see some early bookings coming through from international students, particularly out of key markets like Japan,” Mr Olsen told Sky News Australia.

“Working holiday makers is a little bit slower, so it’s going to be a slow recovery, particularly for Cairns.”

Mr Olsen said it is a “four-to-five-year endeavour” for international tourism to return to pre-pandemic levels without continued government support.