France will lift the travel ban from Friday morning, provided that British vacationers are completely vaccinated, the country’s tourism minister, Jean-Baptiste Lemoin, announced.
France has banned all non-essential trips from the United Kingdom since December 18 to limit the spread of the Omicron variant of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus that causes COVID-19.
However, starting Friday, fully vaccinated travelers will be admitted to France if there is evidence of a negative COVID-19 test within 24 hours of departure. The requirement to quarantine on arrival is abolished.
After confirming this news, UK Travel Secretary Grant Shaps wrote on Twitter: Negative COVID testing is still needed. “
Christophe Mathieu, CEO of Brittany Ferry, described the announcement as “a great relief” and expressed his hope that he had “seen the final border closure of the COVID crisis.”
Eurostar, a train operator operating trains between Britain and France via the Channel Tunnel, said it would enhance its services after the ban was lifted.
A spokeswoman for the company said: “We welcome the safe relaxation of travel bans, which gives our customers more freedom to travel between the UK and France. We are ready to welcome more passengers and more flexibility for our passengers. We will continue to increase the frequency of our services in the coming weeks to provide sex and choice. “
Abuta, a travel industry group, also welcomed this decision. A spokeswoman said: “France is one of the most popular destinations for British vacationers. This is waiting for the news as thousands of people head there for ski breaks this time of the year. It will be a great relief for customers who are booking vacations for the next few weeks. “
Crystal Ski, the UK’s largest winter sports operator, is optimistic about its business outlook.
Chris Logan, Managing Director, said: “But I feel really optimistic as the tests in the UK have been relaxed and the Alps have reopened in the UK.”
Germany has already lifted the ban on British tourists entering the country on January 4th.
The UK also relaxed its own travel restrictions on January 7 by abolishing the pre-departure testing requirements for travelers returning to the UK.
PA Media contributed to this report.
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