Visits to Santa have been cancelled after travel firm Tui said it cannot go ahead with trips to Lapland.
The tour operator said it could not guarantee it would “keep the magic alive” for British and Irish families visiting the Finnish region because of coronavirus restrictions.
In a statement it said it regretted having to make what it called an “incredibly difficult decision” to suspend all holidays to Lapland this winter. Customers who had booked will be offered credit for a future trip or a cash refund.
A spokesman said: “Visiting Santa is a truly magical, once-in-a-lifetime family experience, and Tui has worked extremely hard in recent months to try to ensure it can keep the magic alive and guarantee children and their parents a safe and enjoyable holiday.
“However, with the rapidly evolving travel environment and a Covid test soon to be mandatory for Finland, Tui UK and Ireland has decided that, on this occasion, it would not be able to deliver on this promise and wanted to remove uncertainty for families.”
Lapland trips will resume next winter.
Those whose holidays are affected have been offered the opportunity to rebook for next year, receive a refund credit note with a “generous incentive” or a full refund.
