British holidaymakers are being advised not to cancel their holidays abroad unless they hear from their travel provider, despite officials in the fire-hit Gironde region of France urging tourists to 'stay away'.
Mass Evacuations Continue
Over 330,000 people have been forced to leave their homes and accommodation as wildfires continue to rage across southwest France and northern Spain. Temperatures are expected to exceed 35°C again this week.
Sophie Brocas, prefect of the French department of Gironde where most evacuations have occurred, warned: "We urge tourists not to come to this region, at least until the situation is under control."
Foreign Office Advice
The Foreign Office has not issued a 'do not travel' warning for the affected areas. British tourists are instead asked to check with their accommodation or package holiday provider. Experts say that cancelling independently without a formal warning could result in losing the right to a refund or insurance claim.
A spokesperson for ABTA, the UK travel industry body, said: "If you have booked a package holiday to a destination affected by a wildfire your tour operator will be closely monitoring the situation and if the holiday cannot be provided or has been significantly affected, they will offer an alternative trip or a full refund for the cost of the package. However, if this is not the case and you choose yourself to cancel, you will almost certainly incur a cancellation fee."
For independent bookings, the spokesperson advised: "You should always check with your accommodation provider to see whether your accommodation is available and if not what their refund policy is, as if you do not, this may affect any potential claim you make on your travel insurance."
Affected Destinations
Popular holiday spots in Gironde include Arcachon, Bordeaux and Fontainebleau forest. In Spain, areas under wildfire warnings include Avila, Toledo, Valencia and Castellon.
France and Spain are the two most popular overseas destinations for British holidaymakers. In 2024, UK residents made approximately 17.8 million visits to Spain and 9.3 million visits to France, according to Foreign Office figures.
Macron's Statement
French President Emmanuel Macron described the fire as the country's worst fire-related crisis "since World War II", adding that a freak weather event was complicating firefighting efforts. Speaking from an emergency coordination office, he said: "We're facing a completely unprecedented fire... We had some events that we have never experienced before. First, we know that the Landes and Gascogne forest is extremely difficult to control - we experienced this in 2022. But on top of that comes extreme drought. Added to this, on top of all these factors and climate conditions, we are now seeing so-called pyrocumulonimbus clouds, which are real 'fire clouds' capable of carrying the fire much further."
