Australia bans resorts from excluding children

Resorts that have been catering to couples looking for a quiet retreat are no longer allowed to ban children, according to a decision made by Western Australia’s State Administrative Tribunal.

The ban is based on provisions of the Equal Opportunity Act, and an exemption, sought by Chimes Spa Retreat, located near Denmark, Australia, was denied. The resort is self-described as an “adults’ retreat”.

A number of Western Australia tourism operators are outraged by the ruling, noting that they serve a niche market – couples seeking holidays where there are no children.

Although the complainant in the case did not try to book a holiday at Chimes, she claimed that the online advertising discriminated against her three-year-old daughter, indicating that Chimes was an “adults’ retreat”.

Kane Randle, the owner of Chimes, expressed surprise when he heard that a complaint had been received by the Equal Opportunity Commission in 2007.

“I was a bit facetious and said I’d tried to join kindy gym and was refused and I tried to join boy scouts and was told to bugger off,” Randle said.

The resort owner said that he applied for an exemption under the Act’s health and safety provisions, noting that with an open spa in each of the guest rooms, the facility might not be safe for children. The request for an exemption was denied, however.

Thanks to www.travelmole.com for the above quotes, for more information on this article please visit their website.

www.chimes.com.au