PARIS

British tourists hoping to spend summer holidays in France after the end of a long coronavirus lockdown will have to change plans.

From May 31, travelers from the UK will need compelling reasons to travel to France and upon entry be subjected to a week-long isolation, as part of the reinforced restrictions announced in view of the rising cases of COVID-19 variant.

Taking to Twitter to announce the new measures, Clement Beaune, secretary of state for European affairs, said all non-resident foreign nationals will require compelling reasons to enter France. They will have to produce a negative PCR or an antigen test of less than 48 hours and undergo a seven-day self-isolation.

From June 9, France is set to open its borders for EU tourists who are vaccinated or produce a negative COVID-19 PCR test. However, the rapid spread of the coronavirus variant in the UK, first identified in India, has forced France to put it on the list of countries with mandatory isolation. Over 5,000 cases of this variant have been detected across the UK.

The UK is one of the top tourist markets for France with over 13 million arriving annually for holidays. The global lockdown induced by the outbreak of the pandemic and the ongoing lockdowns and curfew restrictions had crashed the French tourism industry, resulting in heavy losses. France is currently lifting its lockdown and opening up public places, museums, restaurants, and cafes.