English/Nat Tourism - Fiji's biggest industry - is at crisis point as the coup crisis drags into its third week. The Prime Minister and 30 others are still being held hostage in the parliament building by coup leader George Speight and that is keeping tourists away. Nearly half of the tourism industry's work force faces wages cuts and job losses if the political impasse continues. Tranquility in the heart of the Pacific ocean, Malolo island one of 330 islands in the Fiji group. The water is warm, the beaches pristine, an ultimate holiday destination. UPSOUND: (English) "Welcome to paradise" SUPER CAPTION: Tourism Worker It may well be paradise but the 25 day old coup on the main island Viti Levu is scaring away thousands of tourists from around the world and creating a major crisis in the tourism industry. Now is peak season when the island resorts should be near fully booked but instead of 80 percent of hotel beds being occupied the figure has slumped to 15 percent. The rebels may be holding the Prime Minister and his cabinet at gunpoint more than 250 kilometres away on a different island, but holiday makers are not prepared to take the risk. Resort owner Dick Smith built his dream at Musket Cove on Malolo island 32 years ago. He and other hotel resort owners now face the threat of ruin if the coup is not resolved quickly. SOUNDBITE: (English) "Well it has reduced the tourism industry by about 70 percent of visitors at the moment. And to the extent that a lot of people are being put out of work or reduced hours. And of the eight thousand people that are employed directly in the tourism industry probably four to five thousand, will, unless something changes in the next few weeks, will lose their jobs." SUPER CAPTION: Dick Smith, Plantation Island resort owner And that includes those among Smith's 150 strong work force. The cost of the coup is mounting, now at one (m) million dollars a day. Over 40 (m) million dollars in income have been lost so far. More than 45-thousand people's jobs are in tourism or connected to it and they face a very uncertain future. SOUNDBITE: (English) "We have dropped off quite a bit with our charters we are probably down to one or two a week where as before we would be booked out every day." SUPER CAPTION: Dan Jennings, Charter boat owner Miles of beaches and the island's airstrip are now all but deserted. This time last year planes were landing daily, off-loading holiday makers armed with cash and ready to relax. Musket Cove has actually seen an increase in the number of yachts mooring but that's because yachts normally bound for Suva are avoiding the guns and the martial law still imposed in the south. But yachts taking refuge are not enough to make a difference and local workers are say the days seem longer now as their future in paradise looks uncertain. You can license this story through AP Archive: www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/74a853160890ecd86aad65a6ccbd7c93 Find out more about AP Archive: www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork

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