THE Spanish ski resort of Formigal has its sights set on welcoming back British visitors as work gets underway on a €68 million expansion.

Just over an hour’s drive from the modern French airport of Pau, Formigal was, until a few years ago, a popular destination with British skiers. Between 250 and 300 tourists from the UK descended on the resort in the central Pyrenees each week during the season until they were tempted by the cheaper alternative of Andorra.

The price of holidays to the Pyrenean principality were dramatically cut when the Andorran government intervened, by paying the cost of transfers from Barcelona airport to the mountains. The knock-on effect was that Formigal lost most of its UK business.

With the expansion underway the resort is aiming to regain trade from the British market during the next few years.

The main thrust of their campaign will be that they provide a quality service, better than would be found in resorts in the Alps, and at much lower prices.