Gulf travel companies fear that Middle East tourists to France could see a sharp drop in numbers following the ban on burqas which went into force last month, according to a report in Al Aribiya News.
Those wearing a “niqab” or burqa in public - tourists included - now face a fine of €150 ($214) and could be ordered to take French citizenship classes.
France is the second-most popular destination for tourists from the Middle East, but the burqa ban has provoked a backlash from Muslim communities abroad.
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“People from this region are particularly sensitive about their privacy,” said Mohsin Kidwai, manager for holidays at UAE-based Orient Travels. “They want to have fun when they travel and if they fear harassment somewhere they will change their destination.”
Upmarket hotels in Paris rely heavily on business from the Gulf. In 2009, about 215,000 Middle Easterners visited Paris, and an estimated 11% of guests were from the region last year.
“There is a lot of high-end tourism from the Gulf, so the economic impact will be huge,” said Chahid Bouamarane, a general manger at Saudi-based Al Tayyar Travel Group.
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Nov 17, 2011 , United Arab Emirates
The land is governed by laws for the welfare of the people themselves residing in it and from security view point. There is nothing above the law. Updating/ modifying/ scrutinizing existing laws is due to the prevailing conditions of the nation. If may seem that the French are not only opposing M...
Jun 6, 2011 , Morocco
oh really? so there are not droves and droves of bikinis from casablanca, to luxor, and from beirut to abu dhabi. Have you even been to the middle east? In fact tourists almost never follow the rules, nor are they expected to even in saudi arabia, they have compounds completely american/british i...