Do not cancel travel plans over wildfires, urges French minister
The minister urged tourists to continue to travel, but asked visitors to "please be advised as to what might be happening”
A French foreign minister has urged tourists not to cancel their travel plans despite unprecedented wildfires in the country’s south west.
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Éléonore Caroit, the minister for international partnerships, said that although France was facing an “exceptionally intense” fire season, tourists should visit as long as they remain well-informed.
Massive forest fires have forced the evacuation of 200,000 people in south-western France and central Spain, including 141,000 in the Gironde and Landes departments in France.
Ms Caroit described the impact of the fires as worse than those in 2022, saying: “It’s more than an incident, it really is a tragedy, nearly 50,000 hectares have been burned this year. It’s significantly worse than last year and even 2022, which was the worst year we had had.
"You have entire areas that are fine, you’re seeing similar phenomena in Spain and other countries. I’m in Paris and nothing is happening, and most other regions are OK, so do please come to France and do not cancel your travel plans.
“But wherever you are, please do be advised as to what might be happening.”
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Ms Caroit, who said the French army had been deployed to help tackle the wildfires which now number 32, added that France’s response was being bolstered by their European Union membership.
She said that being a of the EU has allowed France to activate the European Civil Protection Mechanism, which she described as "extraordinary", adding: "Solidarity is essential in the EU."
“Right now, we have had the confirmation that two water bombing carriers will come from Croatia, two water tractors from Portugal, two Black Hawk helicopters from Czech Republic and Slovakia.
"They’re helping us now as the situation is terrible; we’ve helped them in the past. It explains what it is to be in the EU.”
Ms Caroit urged world leaders to see the fires – which have killed two firefighters, injured 42 more and are confirmed to have destroyed around 100 homes so far – as a wake-up call for climate change.
She said: “[This is] something we’re seeing in many parts of the world. Remember the wildfires in California, Chile. The climate is changing, we’re having a terrible impact on it.
“While leaders in the world continue to say climate change doesn’t matter, we’re seeing the concrete effects everywhere. We have to take it seriously.
“[France has] invested millions but we’re seeing it’s not enough.”