Salzburg Hotel Fined for Banning Burkinis in Pool
An Austrian court upheld fines against two hotel managers who banned Muslim women in burkinis from swimming facilities, ruling the decision constituted religious discrimination.
The case involved the female and male managers of a hotel in St. Johann im Pongau who denied access to two Muslim women seeking to use the water facilities while wearing full-body Islamic swimsuits, according to Junge Freiheit.
The hotel management initially justified their decision on hygiene grounds, arguing that the full-body garments posed sanitary concerns for shared swimming areas. However, the Salzburg Administrative Court rejected this reasoning, with the presiding judge stating that burkinis are made from the same materials as conventional swimwear.
Court documents revealed that the women were additionally told they needed to adapt to local customs, with hotel staff reportedly commenting that burkini swimming might be acceptable in Saudi Arabia but not in Austria. This statement formed part of the evidence supporting the discrimination finding.
Women Report Deep Humiliation
Following the incident, the two Muslim women filed complaints with the relevant district authorities. In the initial ruling, both managers received administrative fines of 100 euros each. The managers subsequently appealed the decision, but the regional administrative court has now rejected their appeals and confirmed the penalties.
One of the affected women told the Salzburger Nachrichten that people cover their bodies for health-related, cultural, religious or personal reasons, and that such individuals experience it as a profound humiliation when forced to undress.
Industry Group Says Issue Rare
The Austrian Hotel Association responded to the ruling by stating that burkinis have not emerged as a significant problem within the hospitality industry to date. While characterizing the judgment as an individual case decision, the organization acknowledged it provides clarity for handling similar situations in the future.
The hotel managers retain the option to challenge the decision before Austria’s Constitutional Court and Administrative Supreme Court. The burkini has been the subject of ongoing political debate in Austria and several other European nations for years, with competing arguments over religious freedom, secular public standards, and cultural integration continuing to generate controversy.
With information from Junge Freiheit
