SUVA, Fiji (29 Nov 2006) -- Thousands of tourists have cancelled trips to Fiji amidst fears of another military coup. In 2000, rebels led by ultranationalist George Speight overthrew the government and all but destroyed Fiji's tourism industry as native Fijians attacked tourist resorts, and burned down homes and businesses owned by Indo-Fijians. The current stand-off between the military and the government has already led to layoffs in Fiji's tourism industry as governments warn travelers to avoid all but essential travel to the troubled Pacific island nation. Fiji is now listed together with countries such as Lebanon, Pakistan and Indonesia as unsafe and most travel companies have responded with "stop-sell" directives on all Fiji holiday packages. Fiji Chamber of Commerce acting president Swani Maharaj said the threat of a military coup has already damaged Fiji's tourism-dependent economy. "Small businesses are already having problems and if this continues some will close down," said Mr Maharaj. Fiji Retailers Association acting president Dhansukh Lal Bhika said the impasse had "killed business" just ahead of the peak tourism season. Fiji Visitors Bureau chief executive Viliame Gavoka said some 50,000 workers in the tourism industry are expected to lose their jobs if the situation continues. "We will not be seeing a lot of tourists because overseas governments have rated us as unsafe to visit because of the threats made by the military to the government," Gavoka said. | | In the 2000 coup, violence against tourists and Indo-Fijians all but destroyed Fiji's tourism industry. "The perception that we are unsafe will not go away until the military stops threatening the government," Gavoka warned. Late last night in Suva, heavily armed Fijian troops took to the streets throughout the capital and secured strategic sites including Fiji Telecom headquarters, the Fijian electricity authority, the Vodafone, government buildings and the Fijian Parliament where rebels took elected goverment leaders hostage in May 2000. © CDNN - CYBER DIVER NEWS NETWORKCDNN Related Topics CDNN TRAVEL ALERT - Travelers warned to avoid Fiji: 2006-11-26FIJI - Australia warns tourists not to travel to FijiFIJI - Trouble in paradise: Tourism meltdown leads to mass layoffsCDNN SPECIAL REPORT - Racism in Paradise: Fiji |
