Urgent efforts to repatriate 30,000 British tourists from ski resorts in France are under way amid warnings of “widespread failures” in the travel sector in the face of the coronavirus pandemic.

French mountain resorts closed at midnight on Saturday, hours after tens of thousands of skiers had landed for their annual holiday in the snow.

Leading ski and summer activity holiday company Neilson has called for the government to step in with “emergency measures”.

There were reports of chaos and confusion across the Alps with one source saying local police had taken the French government’s message into their own hands and were going round hotels and restaurants telling marooned Britons to go home immediately.

Diane Palumbo, sales and marketing director at SkiWorld, said she had 900 customers across the Alps and they had been in talks with all the key resorts on Friday to warn them that if they were to close, not to do so on Saturday when a fresh influx of tourists were scheduled to arrive.

“We are getting over our anger. It was literally not until 10pm last night that we were confident of the information we were receiving. The same people who had assured us on Thursday, Friday or even Saturday that they would remain open, have now all closed,” she said.

The French prime minister, Édouard Philippe, announced at 8pm that the country must close all non-essential locations, notably cafes, restaurants, cinemas, nightclubs and shops from midnight.

Although ski resorts were not specifically listed, the ski industry in the UK believe they are all closing.

One of the biggest operators, Inghams, said “as a responsible tour operator” it would not be operating any more holidays to French resorts for the rest of the season and advised those who were due to go out on Sunday to abandon their plans.

“Even though the Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) advice has not changed, as a responsible tour operator, we will not be operating Inghams ski holidays to these resorts for the rest of the 2019/2020 winter season: Alpe d’Huez, Avoriaz, Chamonix & Les Houches, Courchevel, Flaine, La Clusaz, La Plagne, Les Arcs, Les Menuires, Les 2 Alpes, Méribel, Montgenevre, Morzine, Samoens, Serre Chevalier, Tignes, Val d’Isère and Val Thorens,” it said in a statement on its website.

Palumbo said all those who had booked through an Atol-backed agent would get their money back but that small- to medium-sized tour operators and travel companies could go bust.

“The airlines are very quick to ask for help from the government but this is a massive flow of people which will costs the industry millions. If the government does not step in travel companies will start to fail because the cost of repatriation will be enormous,” she said.

She explained that travel companies pay bonds to cover emergencies but if travel companies go to the wall the money will have to come out of government coffers. If they are going to bail out travellers at the end of this, would it not be better to step in earlier in the crisis and in doing so save businesses and jobs as well as holidaymakers, she argued.

David Taylor, the chief executive of Neilson holidays, said it was “hugely disappointed” that it received “such short notice” on the closures.

He called for “emergency measures” for the sector.

“With the Covid-19 crisis likely to last several months, we are asking the government to consider emergency measures specifically targeted at the travel and leisure sector to deliver immediate relief and help avoid widespread failures.

“This remains an isolated issue on 2020 departures only and we are confident that next year will see a healthy recovery provided a swathe of relief measures recommended to the government are enacted,” he said.

Ryanair (@Ryanair) Customer Notice: Ryanair Group reduces flights to/from Spain from Monday 16 March to Thursday 19 March.



All affected customers will receive an email notification informing them of their options: pic.twitter.com/0R1Ib65tKb

Separately Ryanair was frantically working to repatriate customers stranded in Spain after the country was thrown into lockdown. It has also cancelled all flights to and from Poland.

“Ryanair Group Airlines (including Buzz and Lauda) has been forced to severely reduce flights to/from Spain, the Balearic Islands and Canary Islands from 24.00 Sun 15 Mar until 24.00 Thurs 19 Mar,” it said in a statement.

It added it was “contacting all affected customers by email to advise them of their options and we urge customs not to call us”.

The British ambassador in Spain issued a message on Sunday to Britons visiting or living in Spain. In a video shared on Twitter, Hugh Elliott said it was “important to be clear the Spanish government has not restricted international flights. We expect you to be able to return home as planned.”

Hugh Elliott (@HughElliottUK) In response to the introduction last night of a State of Emergency, and the restrictions that are now in place throughout the country, a message to all 🇬🇧tourists and residents in🇪🇸 Further information on https://t.co/YfUHYYEs6O #yomequedoencasa #imstayingathome #coronavirus pic.twitter.com/pcco3MDBhe

Earlier it announced all flights to and from Poland have been cancelled from midnight on Saturday to midnight on 31 March.