Gransnet forums

Chat

Do you know where the 200 missing British tourists are now?

(181 Posts)
mokryna Sun 27-Dec-20 15:51:43

400 British tourists in Switzerland were asked to isolate but 200 left during the following night. Where are they now?

lemongrove Mon 28-Dec-20 21:53:33

Ellianne

What is it with people, that they feel they can't possibly do without a holiday this year?

I agree.

lemongrove Mon 28-Dec-20 21:51:34

Swiss ski resorts stayed open to international tourists for one thing only...money.
Of course they should have stopped flights coming into the country and only opened ski slopes to to Swiss nationals.

Callistemon Mon 28-Dec-20 19:46:32

Look on the bright side, Brenda and Tony aren't missing.

growstuff Mon 28-Dec-20 19:44:17

Fact check: Wigmore and his family were actually staying in their chalet in Wengen and weren't part of the big group which left Verbier. It appears hundreds more have left various Swiss resorts.

Callistemon Mon 28-Dec-20 19:36:43

The couple from East Kilbride had spent £2,500 on their annual festive trip to the Canaries.

Oh, so sad.

When everything looked a bit brighter earlier in the year, a couple we know booked flights to the Canaries, about £20 return each, knowing that they may have to forfeit their holiday, which has happened of course.

£2,500? Are they stupid?
No sympathy, sorry, Brenda and Tony.

Ellianne Mon 28-Dec-20 19:19:24

What is it with people, that they feel they can't possibly do without a holiday this year?

Jaxjacky Mon 28-Dec-20 18:51:28

biba70 serves them right.

biba70 Mon 28-Dec-20 18:33:52

Not much sympathy for this couple where I found this link- for sure

www.glasgowlive.co.uk/news/glasgow-news/couple-dumped-150-miles-glasgow-19527661

GagaJo Mon 28-Dec-20 18:19:24

Well I was in Verbier till Sat evening and was out and about daily. No police seen at all, at any point.

GillT57 Mon 28-Dec-20 18:04:30

I assume that Prince Andrew, Fergie and family have not popped across to Verbier, just to check that their chalet grin which is for sale for £18m is ok......

biba70 Mon 28-Dec-20 17:57:22

Holiday probably linked to his Russian Oligarchs friends who do own many Châlets in the region, sadly.

His Wiki page has already been amended

''Wigmore and his family were part of a large group of British tourists who broke quarantine rules of self-isolation in Switzerland and put many others' lives at risk by fleeing in the middle of the night. [9][10]''

Callistemon Mon 28-Dec-20 17:51:44

Do we want him?

mokryna Mon 28-Dec-20 17:33:45

Mail
“ There were police stopping everyone and asking them if they were British.
We were among a number of Brits who made it out.'
Speaking from his home in Oxfordshire, Wigmore said the message from Swiss authorities warned him not to leave his room or residence and to avoid all contacts.

It also said that a £8,324 [CHF 10,000] fine could be charged for non-compliance.

'The message was pretty ominous,' he told MailOnline, adding that he was contacted several times by Swiss authorities as they attempted to establish his whereabouts before he eventually told them he was back in England.”

seamstress Mon 28-Dec-20 17:28:01

Lets hope the press name and shame.

mokryna Mon 28-Dec-20 17:27:57

Thank you Trisher.

Parsley3 Mon 28-Dec-20 17:08:27

‘Told them not to leave their hotel rooms’ as I wrote.

Ellianne Mon 28-Dec-20 17:07:28

I'm a bit confused. Why would four rich Hurray Henries all be squashed into a small hotel bedroom?
Imaginez rester à quatre dans une chambre d'hôtel de 20 m2.

biba70 Mon 28-Dec-20 17:06:52

Yes, resorts were left open due to low numbers and the fact skiing is an outdoor activity, and all precautions taken. It is the news, which had been carefull held back by those who knew- of the mutant virus, that changed everything and led to quarantine.

Now- as my mention for different resorts for different 'types'. This one surprised me- would not have put him in the Wengen Downhill Only crowd of top posh fame.

Disgraceful behaviour, and even more disgraceful comments. Not surprised

'While Verbier, not far from the French border, has been the focus of most reporting, British skiers also fled other resorts – including the former Leave.EU campaigner Andy Wigmore, who compared his own family to the Von Trapps from The Sound of Music as he escaped via Paris after tough Swiss restrictions were introduced last week.

“So had the best time in wengen.swiss until the Swiss decided to lockdown the country and quarantine all those who didn’t escape for 14 days … well just like in the Sound of Music the Wiggy von Trapps decided to make a run for it from the slopes of Switzerland to the French border in less than 3 hours.” In the film, the Von Trapps are escaping the Nazis.

Wigmore was one of few British tourists in Switzerland willing to put his head above the parapet in the last week as many chose to leave their apartments and rooms, leaving meals uneaten and beds unslept in.'

growstuff Mon 28-Dec-20 17:02:45

It's really galling to see him boasting about how clever he is to escape Switzerland like the Van Trapps escaping the Nazis.

What hope is there for any containment when people behave like this?

growstuff Mon 28-Dec-20 16:58:20

Parsley3

So Switzerland kept ski resorts open to foreign visitors, even from the plague ridden UK and then told them not to leave their hotel rooms when they arrived. Is that right biba?

They were not told to leave their hotel rooms. They were going to be quarantined in their hotel rooms.

growstuff Mon 28-Dec-20 16:57:11

GagaJo

Hotels have their names and contact details. All those who escaped should be fined.

I don't suppose they can if they left just minutes before the deadline.

I just hope other people see them for the scum they are.

GagaJo Mon 28-Dec-20 16:54:43

Hotels have their names and contact details. All those who escaped should be fined.

GagaJo Mon 28-Dec-20 16:53:53

The Swiss regulations on quarantine:

www.eda.admin.ch/eda/en/fdfa/fdfa/aktuell/newsuebersicht/2020/01/corona-virus.html

If someone fails to comply with the mandatory quarantine, this is a contravention under Article 83 of the Epidemics Act that is punishable by a fine of up to CHF 10,000 (para. 1 let. h), or if due to negligence, with a fine of up to CHF 5,000. The cantons are responsible for criminal prosecution.

Parsley3 Mon 28-Dec-20 16:53:49

So Switzerland kept ski resorts open to foreign visitors, even from the plague ridden UK and then told them not to leave their hotel rooms when they arrived. Is that right biba?

Ellianne Mon 28-Dec-20 16:50:58

We used to do school ski trips at our school. USA and lately Bulgaria were popular.