Center Parcs has reluctantly closed all its UK holiday villages following the latest Covid-19 rules.
As a new strain of the virus forces France to temporarily close its border with us and the UK Government to drastically step-up restrictions, the holiday company said all its sites would close until at least January 7.
New Tier 4 restrictions have been implemented in the south east of England, similar to the rules of the November lockdown, amid rising concerns over the new strain spreading. For the rest of England, the Christmas bubble policy has been reduced from five days of indoor household mixing, to just one day on Christmas Day.
Center Parcs said families planning to spend Christmas or New Year at one of its villages were being sent information on cancellations, rescheduling or refunds.
A statement from Center Parcs, which has its headquarters in Ollerton, Notts, said: “Following the update from the Prime Minister it is clear that the threat of the virus with the new variant is now at an extremely delicate stage.
“It is therefore with a heavy heart that we have made the decision to close all our UK villages from Monday 21 December until at least 7 January 2021. Our decisions throughout the pandemic have been with the priority of keeping our guests and staff as safe as possible.
“Latest Government advice in all tiers is to avoid non-essential travel outside of local areas and we certainly do not wish to encourage this. We know how disappointing this news will be for our guests, especially during this time of year.
“We have not made this decision lightly, but there is clearly concern around the new variant being moved around the country.
“All guests impacted by the closure period will receive an email from us today (20 December) with instructions on how to cancel activities and restaurant reservations and how to reschedule with a discount to the value of £100 or cancel with a full refund.”
Affected villages include Sherwood Forest, Elveden Forest, Longleat Forest, Whinfell Forest and Woburn Forest.
All guests due to arrive between December 21 and January 7, will have the option to change dates with a £100 discount, or cancel and claim a full refund.
Cancellations on activities and restaurant reservations will also need to be made.
Center Parcs said guests due to arrive from January 8 onwards should check government restrictions themselves prior to travelling, booking a new break or when considering a date change or cancellation.
