Travel firms have reported a huge surge in bookings for winter sports holidays as France today reopened its borders to UK tourists for the first time in nearly a month.
Airlines saw sales spike by up to 600 per cent after Britons were told they can enter the country if they are fully vaccinated and have evidence of a negative coronavirus test taken within 24 hours of travelling.
Meanwhile tour operators reported a rush of bookings within minutes of the curbs being eased – with excited skiers lining up at airports and train stations from the early hours.
France’s tourism minister Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne announced the move following an outcry from struggling resorts. He also scrapped the isolate-on-arrival rule.
Tourists were pictured this morning walking through London Gatwick Airport with snowboards while others arrived for Eurostar trains at London St Pancras station as many take advantage of the change in rules.
French president Emmanuel Macron had been accused of being ‘spiteful’ after his government banned British tourists from entering the country last month from December 18 over fears about the Omicron variant.
(Left to right) Poppy Marshall-Law, Emiko Ishii and Marco Farris walk through London Gatwick Airport today en route to the Alps for a photograph, which was issued to the media by easyJet after the French government removed the UK tourist ban
(Left to right) Marco Farris, Poppy Marshall-Law and Emiko Ishii queue up at London’s Gatwick Airport this morning
Passengers queue at the check-in desks for easyJet flights at London Gatwick Airport in West Sussex this morning
A plane passenger carries what appears to be winter sports equipment through London Gatwick Airport this morning
People arrive for flights at London Gatwick Airport in West Sussex this morning after France’s travel rules changed
Passengers queue at the check-in desks for easyJet flights at London Gatwick Airport in West Sussex this morning
Passengers walk into the departures area of London Gatwick Airport in West Sussex this morning
Despite the move, cases of the variant have soared in France, undermining the case for keeping draconian border curbs in place.
The move will provide a major lift to winter sports travel firms, particularly ahead of their peak period during February half-term.
It will also boost cross-Channel Eurostar, Eurotunnel and ferry services as mini breaks in cities such as Paris come back on the cards.
The French Alps are the UK’s most popular winter sports destination and skiers have been forced to postpone or take trips to nearby Switzerland and Austria.
However, Jet2.com was among the first to announce it will resume ski flights to destinations such as Lyon, Chambery and Grenoble from January 22 – and will be slashing ticket prices by 10 per cent to celebrate the move.
Chief executive Steve Heapy said: ‘This is the positive news that skiers and snowboarders have been looking forward to and the spike in bookings for ski flights has been both sharp and immediate.
‘The snow conditions in the French Alps are said to be excellent, meaning our customers are jumping at the chance to get back on the slopes.’
TUI, which runs the UK’s largest ski tour operator Crystal Ski Holidays, will also restart French trips from January 22.
The firm’s boss Chris Logan said it had been a ‘challenging’ start to the season but they were ‘delighted to be able to hit the slopes in France once again’.
He added: ‘Bookings to France doubled yesterday even before the announcement and we would expect to see another very positive uptick now it’s official.’
EasyJet said it was also increasing the number of flights to France after the news and had seen a 600 per cent spike in last-minute bookings.
UK country manager Ali Gayward said: ‘With France welcoming British tourists once again, skiing is well and truly back on.
‘This is welcome news for UK consumers, particularly for those looking to book a last-minute family break or planning to head to the slopes, with low fares still available across thousands of flights to France this winter, including over half-term.
‘We know that there is pent-up demand, with many desperate to get away this year, which we continue to see each time restrictions are removed.
‘With flying already scheduled to increase in the coming weeks, we will continue to review our schedule to meet demand and we look forward to taking our customers away on a long-awaited break this winter.’
All-inclusive ski giant Club Med said its website had been inundated with traffic – shooting up 60 per cent after the announcement.
It said trips to France were now its most searched for, with La Rosiere and Les Arcs proving particularly popular. Managing Director at the firm Estelle Giraudeau told the Telegraph: ‘This has saved the season.
‘After two years away from the slopes, Britons are desperate to get back to France and some of the most loved ski domains in Europe – and this is the final barrier to be removed.’
Flight data experts Cirium said that there were now 2,179 scheduled flights between France and Britain this month – up from just 894 last January.
Christophe Mathieu, chief executive of Brittany Ferries, said the announcement was a ‘great relief’ and that ‘we have seen the last border closure of the Covid crisis’.
He added: ‘Thousands of Brittany Ferries passengers have been disrupted and millions of pounds in income has been lost as a consequence of draconian measures like border closures.’
England last week relaxing its own rules for returning holidaymakers.
Double-jabbed people no longer need to take a test before returning and can take a cheaper and quicker lateral flow test post-arrival rather than a PCR swab by day two. The changes save a family of four around £300.
Passengers arrive at the Eurostar terminal at Gare du Nord train station in Paris today after France eased travel restrictions
A passenger arriving from London by the Eurostar train is greeted by a relative at Gare du Nord train station in Paris today
Passengers walk along the platform at Paris Gare du Nord train station after arriving on a Eurostar service this morning
Passengers arriving from London by a Eurostar train wear face masks at Gare du Nord train station in Paris today
Passengers arriving from London by a Eurostar train exit the arrival gate at Gare du Nord train station in Paris today
Passengers arrive at the Eurostar terminal at Gare du Nord train station in Paris today after France eased travel restrictions
A woman pulls her suitcase through London St Pancras train station this morning at the Eurostar rail terminal
Rail passengers are pictured at London St Pancras train station this morning at the Eurostar rail terminal
Passengers are pictured walking through London St Pancras rail station this morning where Eurostar trains depart
Rail passengers walk through London St Pancras train station this morning as French travel reopens to British tourists
Rail passengers are pictured at London St Pancras train station this morning at the Eurostar rail terminal
Rail passengers are pictured at London St Pancras train station this morning at the Eurostar rail terminal
There was also relief on the other side of the Channel. Alexandre Holroyd, a French MP with Mr Macron’s Republic On the Move party, appeared to criticise his leader.
He said: ‘It’s a welcome and overdue decision. All those with close ties to France – whether for business, family or leisure – will breathe a sigh of relief as do I.
‘It’s time to ensure those who are fully vaccinated can live a life free of the constraints linked to the fight against Covid-19.’
Christophe Lavaut, director of the popular Val d’Isere ski resort, said it was ‘good news’.
He added: ‘Unfortunately, this will not be enough to compensate for the losses accumulated since the Christmas holidays, with in particular a drop in attendance of 32 per cent for the current week.
‘We just hope that the British people will understand that the restrictions were in no way up to us and that they are always welcome.’ Francois Badjily, head of the Alpe d’Huez tourist office, said the news was ‘a huge relief’.
Julia Simpson, chief of the World Travel and Tourism Council, welcomed the move, but added: ‘Once a variant is endemic, closing borders is pointless and only damages livelihoods, especially in travel and tourism – one of the hardest hit sectors during the pandemic.’
British holidaymakers account for up to half of overseas visitors in some French Alps resorts.
Following the news, flight data experts Cirium said scheduled flights between the UK and France climbed to 144 per cent more this month than January 2021.
However, they are still 66 per cent down on January 2020, before the pandemic.
There are 2,179 flights scheduled between the two nations this month – equating to 367,164 seats. Last January there were just 894 flights and 6,364 in January 2020.
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