Crystal Ski cancels France holidays as new travel ban put in place for Brits

Crystal Ski has cancelled holidays to France after the country has announced a new travel ban for Brits due to concerns over Omicron

Crystal Ski has cancelled France holidays through to early January following the news that the country is introducing a travel ban on Brits due to concerns over rising cases of the Omicron variant in the UK.

Under the new rules, Brits won’t be allowed to enter France unless they have an essential reason, which doesn’t include tourism or business. The rules will apply to anyone from the UK, whether they are fully vaccinated against Covid or not.

The news comes as a huge blow to families with France being a popular winter destination thanks to its offering of ski holidays.

As a result, TUI-owned Crystal Ski has announced that it is cancelling holidays departing December 21 and 28, as well as January 4.

The company said that it has contacted affected customers to offer them options such as a rebooking incentive.

It also said that it would contact holidaymakers who have booked flights into France with plans to travel onwards to other popular ski hotspots like Andorra and Switzerland, to arrange alternative flights and travel options.

At the present time, the company has only cancelled holidays for those three departure dates.

As part of a statement issued on its website regarding the new restrictions in France, the company said: “We’ll continue to monitor the situation for future departures. For customers due to travel 3rd January to 31st January that want to change their holiday can do so up to 14 days before their departure with our Crystal Holiday Promise.

“For customers due to travel 1st February onwards that want to change their holiday can do so up to 28 days before their departure with our Crystal Holiday Promise.”

You can find out more about the cancellations and the Crystal Holiday Promise on crystalski.co.uk.

France is the first country to have imposed a UK-specific travel ban in recent weeks, amidst the ongoing outbreak of the Omicron variant.

However, it’s not the only one to have new travel rules in place for UK travellers. For example, Spain has new vaccination requirements, while Italy has tightened up its rules around Covid tests, as well as self-isolation for those who are not fully vaccinated.

We’ve put together a guide to countries’ new travel bans and rules for Brits as a result of Omicron, to help you navigate through the changing restrictions.

While these are up to date at the time of writing, the nature of the pandemic means they can change quickly. If you have a specific destination in mind you should always check the Foreign Office advice for that destination before booking a trip or going abroad. It’s also worth speaking to your travel provider if there are any changes that mean you no longer meet the requirements to visit a country for a holiday.

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