Coronavirus travel restrictions for the United Kingdom have finally been lifted in France. French ski resorts are anticipating the arrival of British skiers as a result of this move. The French government has previously prohibited all non-essential travel throughout the holiday season. This was implemented to prevent the virus’s Omicron version from spreading further. The ban was imposed from December 18 onwards.
During the year-end holiday season, the Alps attract large crowds, but the French government chose to put a blanket ban on all non-essential travel, causing British skiers to cancel their vacation plans.
From Friday onwards, vaccinated travellers entering France must either provide a negative PCR certificate or an antigen test report taken 24 hours before departure. Unvaccinated travellers will require a compelling reason to travel. Such travellers will be compelled to quarantine themselves for ten days, with the address being shared with security forces.
In a statement, the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) said, “Thousands of people head there for ski breaks at this time of year, so this will be a huge relief for customers with holidays booked there for the next few weeks, who have been waiting anxiously for news.”
The relaxation of travel restrictions has aided the tourism sector of the regions surrounding the French Alps. When the restriction was issued, it disappointed thousands of British skiers. They had made reservations in France’s Alpine ski resorts. The news that the curbs will be lifted will assist not only British skiers, but also transport operators, ferry companies, and the cross-channel Eurostar rail service.
When compared to 2019, the French resorts in Savoie and Haute-Savoie had a 10 to 20% decrease in footfall throughout the Christmas and New Year period. Britons accounted for 15% of all visitors to French ski resorts.
The French Alps resorts can now expect to welcome more guests and rebuild from the losses they suffered over the New Year.
– India’s new age travel digital media
