Could This Be Fiji-Or Thai Old

American “Paradise" Of The South Pacific?

FIVE pounds per day per head, that is what tourists to Fiji paid out in cold cash last year, according to an expert. (PIM, August, page 135). It made a total of £500,000, in lovely, lovely dollars and £’s, Stg., NZ or A.

What did the customers get for this reasonably large sum of money? The genuine Fiji, or a pale, pale imitation of Hawaii?

As the customer is always right, the minority, who wanted it that way, probably got a fair approxi mation of authenticity; and the majority—glamour; meaning hibiscus, guitars and hula-girls.

Especially hula-girls. Why tell the customer, who has paid his good dough, that the Fijian maid is a modest creature who prefers to ignore the fact that the Almighty gave her legs and rigorously covers them down to the ankles; or that, on her native heath, she never, never dances the hula.

Fiji has other kinds of Islanders, and they do the hula, do they not?

Certainly; but why not extend the idea by rounding up the Scots lassies to do the Highland Fling at some chosen beach resort? Or the Spanish senoritas (if any are resident) to do the tarantella? Or —but why continue? The idea has limitless possibilities.

In the South Pacific, only in Fiji has tourism “arrived.” It occurs in other parts of the area, but is not spoken of as an “industry.”

Is tourism a good or a bad thing?

Opinion is about equally divided.

Many good citizens feel that there is something degrading about the

bally-hoo that appears to be an in escapable part of organised tourism.

They could be right. Certainly tourists, en masse—in Rome or Rarotonga—do nothing to restore one’s faith in the human race.

The cameramen . . .

Dust off that old Box- Brownie gents, and step right up. This is Fiji (repeat, FIJI) where exotic hula-maidens sway to the rhythm of guitars beneath the coconut-palms. Did we say "exotic"? That's what we meant. Accord ing to our dictionary: "Not native; brought in from abroad".

. . The subject

According to Mr. Jack Thornton, who supplied these photographs, this young lady is the most photographed hula-dancer in Fiji. Could we doubt it?