Vaccinated people from the United Kingdom will be authorized from Friday to enter France without presenting any compelling reason, announced Thursday, January 13, the Minister Delegate for Tourism and Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs), Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne.
“For people who have been vaccinated, we also end the forty-eight hour isolation period. We will only ask for a negative test of less than twenty-four hours at the start. We will again be able to travel from the United Kingdom for leisure and [pour] to go skiing “ in French stations, added the minister on TV5 Monde.
“The constraint is stronger on unvaccinated people who keep compelling reasons and cannot come for leisure reasons. The vaccine makes the difference “, added Mr. Lemoyne.
Limiting the spread of the Omicron variant
In order to limit the spread of the Omicron variant, the government announced in mid-December a tightening of access conditions in France. Nationals of countries outside the European Union (EU) had to have a “Compelling reason” to enter the territory and transit to another EU country. However, since Brexit, the British are nationals of a third country.
“All travelers, vaccinated or not, must present a negative test on departure [PCR ou test antigénique] less than twenty-four hours’, said in the wake of the Prime Minister’s office in a press release. Government spokesman Gabriel Attal announced on Wednesday that Paris would relax “In the next few days” border restrictions with the United Kingdom.
“British customers represent 15% of customers in French ski resorts”, added Mr. Lemoyne, while for two years the State has supported tourism stakeholders to the tune of 38 billion euros, victims of the economic consequences of the health crisis. “Before the crisis, there were 90 million international tourists per year in France, today it is rather 45 million”, recalled Mr. Lemoyne.
” The season [de sports d’hiver] is well underway, he estimated. Compared to 2019, we are at – 8% but we are starting to get closer to interesting levels. In the Pyrenees, there is + 10%, + 30%. “” It is more complicated for certain large resorts in Savoie, which depend on this international clientele, in particular the British “, however admitted Mr. Lemoyne. “This morning’s decision will allow for a catch-up, I hope. The first week of January, we are at + 5% compared to 2019 thanks to the Belgians and the Dutch. “
