Swedish skiers fly to Alguaire-Lleida airport for first time in almost two years

A flight from Gothenburg organized by tour operator Quality Travel landed at the Lleida-Alguaire Airport, in western Catalonia, on Sunday for the first time in almost two years.

After a pandemic hiatus, the travel company will once again take Swedish skiers to slopes in Andorra and Val d'Aran in the Pyrenees via Lleida every Sunday until March 20, although the number of flights has halved compared to pre-Covid levels.

The company is "very optimistic," Olivia Gmoser, a Quality Travel tour guide said. According to her, people want to start traveling again, and the company has noticed their services are in "high demand." Despite this, she said, they are more cautious than before as the pandemic is not yet over.

The Swedes traveling with Quality Travel are mainly experienced skiers in search of more favorable weather and more hours of sunlight.

Hans Lindholm, a Gothenburg native, told the Catalan News Agency that he had skied in the Alps on many occasions but had chosen to travel to Andorra in search of "sun, good snow, and good food."

Anette Sendblom, another Swedish tourist, concurred: "I'm hoping for sun and to ski and to have a good time."

Quality Travel is the only tour operator working out of Alguaire-Lleida this year as Nielson stopped taking British tourists to the region in 2019 after Thomas Cook entered insolvency.