The Ministry of Tourism has has gone back on its decision to allow Burkinis at hotel and resort pools. After consideration by the Ministry it canceled the decision, issued just one day ago, to allow the Burkini on grounds of religious discrimination.
Head of the Chamber of Red Sea Hotel Facilities, Ali al-Halawany, said the decision should not have been issued from the beginning. He stated that hotels have the freedom to decide whether or not to allow Burkinis’ depending on the type of tourists and domestic tourism seasons, where veiled women are present at these locations.
Officials for the tourism sector at the Red Sea considered the both decisions and said the decision had been issued without studies.
Halawany pointed out that the tourism sector is in a sensitive spot and any decision must be studied properly first, so it does not have a negative impact, describing the cancellation as a mess to the Tourism Ministry policies.
The first decision came as a response to the Tourism Ministry receiving complaints from a number of hotel guests that they were prevented from using pools due to wearing the Burkini.
The Ministry issued the permission of the suit on Friday, forcing hotels and resorts to allow veiled women to use the pools or at least allocate a pool for them in the case the facility had more than one.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
