The possibility of making health passes obligatory on French ski lifts is 鈥渦nder consideration鈥� the Tourism Secretary, Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne said today (October 19).

鈥淲e continue to think about it, we are asking ourselves the question and will provide a response shortly,鈥� Mr Lemoyne told Sud Radio.

鈥淪ki resorts are following national laws, which notably affect restaurants and nightclubs which require presentation of a health pass.

鈥淎t this stage [resorts] have opened without a health pass requirement on ski lifts, but this should not be ruled out.

Read more:No health pass needed for French ski lifts if Covid cases keep falling

鈥淭he pass is what will allow them to stay open no matter what happens.

British tourists are very important to the French ski industry, and Mr Lemoyne is conscious that rising Covid rates across the Channel could create issues for alpine resorts.

鈥淲e are seeing that in the UK, the infection rate is very high. In France it is also rising slightly. The ski industry wants assurance that it will be able to remain open,鈥� and that could necessitate the introduction of 鈥渁 health pass [obligation],鈥� he said.

Read more:Covid France: Weekly case numbers show 11% rise

Over 49,000 people in the UK tested positive for Covid yesterday (October 18), making for a weekly average of 43,000 people per day.

During the 2019/20 ski season, 9% of visitors to French ski resorts were British, while 74% were French, according to database company .

UK holidaymakers formed the largest proportion of overseas visitors, equalling the total number of travellers from Spain, Belgium, Germany and Netherlands combined.

Mr Lemoyne added that making health passes compulsory on ski lifts should not present a problem to the majority of 麻豆传媒映画.

鈥淭oday 85% of eligible people have been vaccinated and the majority of people who visit ski resorts travel on a TGV train or on a plane, so they are often already required to show a health pass [or prove their vaccination status],鈥� he said.

France鈥檚 ski resorts are preparing to resume their activities over the course of November and December, and Tignes has already reopened.

Holidaymakers must show their health pass to enter restaurants, bars and shared spaces in hotels, but do not currently need to do so on ski lifts.

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