English/Nat XFA The recent coup in Fiji has left the country crippled by the fall in tourists. Idyllic beaches are now deserted, as are the swimming pools in the country's luxury hotels and resorts. Once a supremely popular destination for Australians, Fiji is now virtually empty of international visitors, with Australia, New Zealand and the United States advising their citizens to stay away. Fiji, a South Pacific archipelago described as "paradise" in brochure after brochure, is suffering - not from the typhoons that are the usual hazard, but from a prolonged political crisis that has set the tourism industry back by years. Chaise lounges by the pricey private bungalows known as bures sit empty, as do entire wings of the islands' luxury resorts during what should be the prime weeks of high season. It's out of concerns that a recent wave of civil disturbances could begin anew at any time that many Foreign Ministries are advising people to stay away. Only a very few are still venturing there in the wake of a recent coup, finding themselves almost alone in the giant hotels which line Fiji's beaches. The hotels are reporting occupancy rates in single-figure percentages. But those who are there say they are enjoying themselves, and are sorry others have chosen to stay away. SOUNDBITE: (English) "It is an environment that we have been very relaxed in. We are really enjoying the company and the culture and the values of the Fijian people and it's a great shame that the country's having some negative effects of its culture broadcast worldwide." SUPERCAPTION: Jim Pearce, Australian tourist The effects of the drop in tourism are wide-ranging. More than one thousand people working in the sector have already lost their jobs; many others are scraping by on reduced shifts. SOUNDBITE: (English) "I have suffered a lot and I've got heaps of things to pay but I'm doing really bad with my hours because of this political crisis." SUPERCAPTION: Elijah, hotel employee The Tourism Action Group, largely funded by the hotels, plans to launch a multimillion-dollar tourism campaign once the crisis is finally settled. But the general consensus is that the fallout will be worse and longer than two years than from the 1987 coups. SOUNDBITE: (English) "We want the tourists to come back. We miss you visitors, please come back to Fiji. It is not a movement, alliance, or any political persuasion. It is primarily people like us who miss the tourists. We want them to come back." SUPERCAPTION: Bill Govoka, Hotel Manager But Fiji's Tourist Office has a hard task ahead of it, after about 40 Americans, Australians, New Zealanders and Britons were kept from leaving their hotel by armed men who came ashore from a neighbouring island and claimed the island belonged to them. The tourists were allowed to leave the next day, but the scars on the tourist industry remain. The resort's American owner was kept until he negotiated a deal to pay for distress caused to the locals, even though they admitted he had bought the land properly. But the damage was done, and three other resorts were taken over the next day. You can license this story through AP Archive: www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/e72cf73959278e93c08f900350ca9aa1 Find out more about AP Archive: www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork

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