The president of the centre-right Christian Democratic Party Christophe Darbellay proposed a nationwide veil ban in a recent interview with the broadsheet Tages-Anzeiger. It would also apply to holidaymakers from Arab countries in resorts like Interlaken, where the visitor segment from Middle Eastern countries has seen rapid growth, and female tourists wearing the niqab and burqa are becoming a common sight. Tourism industry representatives have reacted with scepticism to the CDP’s proposal.

Jungfrau Zeitung, 18 August 2008