A Fiji tourism industry leader says the country has suffered the worst holiday season in terms of tourist numbers in nearly 20 years.
The chairman of the Tourism and Transportation Council, Jim Sherlock, says they have weathered the aftermath of three coups in Fiji, but this is the worst of all.
July and August are usually the peak months for holidaymakers in the country.
Mr Sherlock, who also owns a resort in Pacific Harbour, told Radio New Zealand International that only two of his 22-rooms are occupied, and his staff are taking home less than half their usual pay.
”Absolutely diabolical.” “I’m only just holding in there, but the ones who aren’t coping well is my team.” “I’ve got 22 people on my staff and they’re averaging about 75 dollars a week take-home pay.” “That’s who I really feel the sanctions are really hurting.”
Jim Sherlock says resorts across the rest of Fiji are about half-full on average.
He has rubbished the latest figures from the Fiji Bureau of Statistics, which say total hotel occupancy levels in the year to March were up two per cent on last year.
Report by The Mole
