Two years after the government closed its borders to the outside world, fully vaccinated visitors are expected to be permitted to travel again without needing to apply for a travel exemption from February 21.

Destination Port Stephens (DPS) board chairman Andrew Macdonald said that Port operators relied heavily on the international travel market.

"We are absolutely ecstatic. For two years a lot of Port businesses and employers have been treading water waiting for the reopening of borders to tourists," he said.

"The domestic market has served many operators well, what has been missing are the overseas tourists."

DPS CEO Eileen Gilliland called it "a great boost to our tourism sector in our recovery from the pandemic".

"Pre-COVID, international visitors spent almost 200,000 visitor nights in our region in addition to an estimated 160,000 international day trip visitors. It's a valuable market and one that is particularly important for tour operators and attractions in our region," she said.

"Throughout the pandemic, DPS has been working to keep Port Stephens top of mind in our key global markets and now we can start to entice international visitors to our incredible place. And the future looks bright with the Newcastle Airport runway project catering for long-haul international flights expected to begin from 2023."

Operator of the popular Birubi Beach camel rides, Rod Sansom, said it was fantastic news and great to see the tourism industry back in full swing again.

"Many operators have had a terrible time during the pandemic ... we had to close our doors for three to four months but fortunately the locals kept us going. We can't thank them enough for their support during those tough times," Mr Sansom said.

Toboggan Hill's office manager Toni Norton said while they had been happy with visitation levels during January, they were looking forward to the area opening up to international visitors.

"We are lucky to be working in a resilient work environment with plenty of outdoor activity options. The Discovery vouchers have also made a big impact this year," Ms Norton said.

"We don't envisage any pitfalls opening up now and are looking forward to prepping for a big Easter. We have plans underway for two new toboggan tracks."

Imagine Cruise's Frank Future said that Port Stephens was popular with international travellers visiting family and relatives.

"Allowing overseas people back into the country will certainly bring more tourists. I believe the modification to the runway at Newcastle Airport will also be of great benefit."

Federal MP Meryl Swanson said she looked forward to Australia's borders safely opening again.

"After two years of border chaos there are many questions that need to be answered about exactly how Mr Morrison will reopen the borders safely, including how the vaccination status of travellers is determined," she said.

"I understand that many businesses in Port Stephens have struggled, especially our tourism providers. This decision is crucial and tourist influx must be carefully managed to ensure we don't have undue pressure on the local health system."

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