Ans Suva's

Of Hotels And Tourists

Bottle-Neck

From Judy Tudor

Suva, Feb. 28.

rOURIST -minded Suva’s Grand Pacific Hotel (the one-and nly) does not have a dinner-gong ny longer. An Indian beats a lali— hollowed-out log—in New Guinea : is called a garamut.

This, doubtless, is believed to be ne of those things “tourists just >ve”—that and the hisbicus flower hich threatens to become Fiji’s ational emblem, “Fiji just has everything”—say the 'ourist wallahs. Everything, of ourse, except enough first-class otels, particularly in Suva. And util this is remedied the local iiirist industry can never be iundly based.

The South Seas Hotel is still in nbryo—left off where the earth lake hit it about 18 months ago. is understood that work will re mmence shortly, but on a much ss pretentious style than origin ly planned.

However, there is something going i at the old Club Hotel Bar which is set up in the ground floor as on as the ground floor shell was mplete, but licence of which was thdrawn some time ago, pending iprovements to the premises. Even len the licence is restored it will t help the tourist industry. What va wants is more bedrooms, not )re beer bars. kway out on the Lami side of va, on a small flat island that will joined to the mainland by a useway, other interests have osen the site of another tourist tel. No work of any kind has hmenced on this yet.

U the end of February, Mr. Sam ;rcer, an American who covers blicity for travel associations ling travel in the Pacific area id a short visit to Suva on his y back from the Regional travel iference in New Zealand. jocal Travel Top Brass enter ned him at a reception at the and Pacific Hotel and talked vel as it applies to Fiji. No srs were heard from anyone pre it, however, to put up the £250,000 :essary to build the tourist hotel it will get Suva out of its accom dation bottleneck. leantime —whether everyone likes Dr not—and some of them don’t iji has an increasing tourist in ;try. The antis say that the busi ;s benefits the few—tourist mcies, airlines and the Indians o run the souvenir shops and 'Vide the various services. The

Fijians—who are the props of the Tourist stage—benefit little. All very true, of course. But the industry could probably do without even these props.

The average tourist apparently does not know the difference be tween an Indian and a Fijian. They get just as much kick from watch ing an Indian beat the lali in the GPH as they would when seeing a Fijian doing it.

And, what is more, they have it right there in their own hotel — haven’t got to go out into a Fijian village looking for it.

As far as the American tourist goes, the local Europeans look upon them as part of life’s entertain ment. Eating habits are particularly intriguing. They tackle “fruit com pote” enthusiastically—only to be horrified when, like as not, it turns out to be canned plums. They are amazed at the frequency with which hot mutton and steamed puddings appear on the menu. They “just love tropical fruit,” and shopping for souvenirs—and are hung about with colour and 3-D cameras.

But they expect a dollar’s worth for their dollar and have taught the South Pacific that the only Ameri can millionaires who throw money about in bundles are those who were in the armed services, 1942-45.

There are many Americans pass ing through the Colony by air at present. Most of them are on world tours and stop off for a day or so to “do” Fiji. There are few New Zealanders at this season—their turn comes in the Southern winter.