easyJet holidays set to take off

France will be among first to benefit from new easyJet holidays partnership with online travel agency Hotelopia

easyJet holidays is set to become a major pan-European tour operator thanks to a new partnership with online travel agency Hotelopia - and holidaymakers in France will be among the first to benefit.

A French website will be among the first six launched - along with sites in Switzerland, Germany, Italy, Spain and the Netherlands - as the new company looks to replicate and build on the success of easyJet holidays in the UK.

The new websites will open easyJet holidays to a new audience of up to 100 million people across Europe, where the airline already has a large presence.

The online travel agency will aim to offer vacations at "competitive prices" across easyJet's network of destinations.

Visitors to the website will be able to reserve city breaks, ski holidays and seaside vacations. The service will also offer a range of activity holidays, such as cycling and golfing breaks, as well as ever-popular Spanish Paradores and Disneyland Paris Hotels deals, and more than 27,000 self-catering options with Interhome.

All holidays booked in France will be fully protected by ATOUT, which is similar to ATOL in the UK. Vacations booked in other countries will be protected by local industry standard regulations.

Mandy Round, General Manager of easyJet holidays, said: "I am really pleased to be taking easyJet holidays into the next phase of its development.

“With much of its initial growth having taken place in the UK, the planned expansion in Europe is an exciting next step which will enable us to offer the great quality and value for money easyJet’s customers have come to expect.”

Hotelopia, part of TUI Travel PLC, is one of the world’s leading leisure travel companies and will provide their extensive portfolio of hotels across the seven countries where easyJet holidays operates.

Jon French, head of easyJet holidays at Hotelopia, said: “We are really excited to have won this contract.

“We believe it is a perfect partnership combining our extensive range of accommodation in Europe and our industry-leading expertise with such a prestigious brand in the European travel industry.”

The partnership between easyJet holidays and Hotelopia begins in May.

Photo:Christopher Doyle