Dubbo travel agents make bookings ahead of Australian border reopening on November 1

Travel agents in the city are reporting of strong inquiry and bookings starting to come in after an 18-month standstill that has separated families and brought the industry "to its knees".

It comes on the back of Prime Minister Scott Morrison confirming travel exemptions to leave the country will be scrapped for fully vaccinated Australians from November 1, when overseas flights will resume.

Singapore also announced it would allow Australians to travel to the country without quarantine from November 8.

Australia's border closed in March 2020 as COVID-19 spread across the world.

Dubbo-based personal travel manager Robbie Barrett said in the past couple of weeks she had been fielding inquiries and then in the past week, bookings had started to come in.

She said she was still doing domestic bookings, but clients were also starting to look overseas.

"People are looking further afield for destinations like Fiji, Bali, Hawaii et cetera, and also Europe, I have had inquiries for Europe," she said.

"I've made some bookings for Europe as well."

The keen traveller said wanderlust was only a small part of the importance of the borders reopening.

Some of her work had been booking people returning home from the United Kingdom, Mrs Barrett said.

"It's not just about travel for tourism, it's about travel for families, because there have been so many families that have been separated, and I think that it's wonderful news for families that have not been able to see each other the past two years," she said.

"People with new grandchildren, people with elderly parents who are away, people that have had somebody die, and they haven't been able to connect with their families.

"...opening Australian borders is fantastic that they will now be able to do that, and families will be reunited.

"I think that that's more important than going on a holiday."

Mrs Barrett, who has been in the industry for more than 35 years and the past 12 years with TravelManagers Australia, welcomes the ban lifting.

"It's all happening very quickly, quicker than we probably anticipated, but that's fantastic for the travel industry," she said.

Dubbo travel agent Sonya Hogan, whose business operates under the MTA - Mobile Travel Agents umbrella, says she has been inundated with inquiries, mostly for international travel.

"I have made bookings to Singapore, UK, Europe, USA, Thailand, Fiji and Columbia this week," she said.

"Cruising is a large part of my business, its going to take a little longer to return, but again it will be back and will be as popular as ever.

"I think those that are fully vaccinated should be allowed to decide if they would like to travel, and many of my clients have just been waiting for quarantine constraints to change, many were happy to travel months ago but they didn't want to pay for hotel quarantine or waste two weeks on their return.

"Our industry was brought to it's knees, we have lost so many businesses as a result, the ripple effect has been so far reaching and the effects will be felt for many years to come. It will however bounce back."