Tour operator cancels Lapland trips for UK and Irish families
TUI HAS cancelled all Lapland holidays for customers from the UK and Ireland this winter.
The tour operator made the decision as the pandemic meant it could not guarantee it would “keep the magic alive” for families visiting the Finnish region.
It said in a statement yesterday: “Tui UK and Ireland today regrets to confirm it has made the incredibly difficult decision to suspend holidays to Lapland this winter, due to the continued uncertainty surrounding travel and the unprecedented impact of Covid- 19. Visiting Santa is a truly magical, once- in- a- lifetime family experience, and Tui has worked extremely hard in recent months to try to ensure it can keep the magic alive and guarantee children and their parents a safe and enjoyable holiday.
“However, with the rapidly evolving travel environment and a Covid test soon to be mandatory
for Finland, Tui UK and Ireland has decided that, on this occasion, it would not be able to deliver on this promise and wanted to remove uncertainty for families.”
Customers are being offered the chance to rebook for 2021, a refund credit note with a “generous incentive”, or a cash refund.
Lapland has introduced a series of safety measures in response
to the pandemic, including plastic screens to separate Santa from children, and elves wearing face masks.
The Finnish government has said leisure travel from the UK will be allowed from November 23 by visitors who have proof of a recent negative Covid- 19 test. No quarantine period will be required for trips of up to 72 hours.