SUVA, Fiji (19 June 2000) -- As the international community and many within Fiji look with horror and anger at the armed insurrection to remove a democratically elected government, Fiji's economy has been pushed to the brink of ruin. Sheraton Resorts Denarau Island, one of Fiji's biggest and most luxurious hotels, has closed down due to a sharp decline in bookings. Hotel management said the Sheraton will reopen when bookings return to normal. That could take some time. After the 1987 coup, it took years for Fiji's tourist industry to rehabilitate the island nation's image as an attractive holiday destination. | | Racist rebel leader George Speight: "We will not be deterred by multiculturalism" With airport arrivals down from 1800 per day to 200, resort operators and dive centers are learning a painful lesson about the difficulties of marketing "paradise" in a country which is stumbling backwards into chaos and racial violence. © CDNN - CYBER DIVER NEWS NETWORK |
