Free baths in danger: rising visitor numbers despite massive challenges!

Free baths in danger: rising visitor numbers despite massive challenges!

Vorderweißenbach, Österreich - outdoor pools in Austria were often locations in thefts and sexual assault in 2023. In view of these worries, the operators of the outdoor pools in Vienna have now announced new measures to protect guests. These developments fall together with a trend in which more and more households are building their own pools in rural areas, which leads to a decline in visitor numbers in outdoor pools. Despite these challenges, the outdoor pools in Vienna record a continuous increase in the number of visitors according to the Corona deeps.

Especially in 2024 there was an increase of over 10 % in the number of visitors in the outdoor pools of the city of Vienna. The family pools, which are only accessible to children with accompanying persons, are also enjoying similar growth. However, these positive developments are in contrast to the signs of a financial crisis in the bathing industry in other parts of the country.

closures and financial challenges

In recent years, more than 70 bathrooms have been closed in a single federal state all over Austria. This throws a shadow light on the financial situation […] The state government has put together a rescue package of 75 million euros for indoor pools, but experts doubt that this sum is sufficient for the necessary renovation and new construction of baths. Michael Kirchmair, spokesman for the Tyrolean bathing industry, is concerned about the continued challenges that are still tightened by the Corona pandemic and the energy crisis.

The communities fight with scarce budgets, which means that investments in the bathroom infrastructure are repeatedly pushed away. Ulrich Mayrhofer, Kirchmair's predecessor, emphasizes that the necessary conservation requirement cannot be financed. In order to keep the admission prices for the population, many operators come into financial difficulties that ultimately comment on bathrooms.

examples from Austria

A concrete example is the mayor of Vorderweißenbach, Bernhard Thumfart, who reports on an outdoor pool, which has been officially blocked since 2023 due to his condition in need of renovation. The cost of overhauling this bath is around one million euros, a sum that the municipality cannot apply in the current financial situation. Instead, other important editions have to be prioritized.

The tense situation could lead to the planning of new baths or considerable renovations. A study in Tyrol recommends the construction of regional baths to better achieve the swimming destinations of the population. Kirchmair explicitly demands that the surrounding communities be involved in the costs for these new regional baths, since the current system is considered not sustainable.

Overall, there is a picture that is characterized on the one hand of positive developments in urban outdoor pools, while on the other hand, rural regions and smaller communities are fighting with serious financial and infrastructural challenges. The discussion about the future of the baths in Austria remains tense.

For more information on the developments in the bathing industry in Austria, the reports of krone , orf vienna and Kurier are consulted.