Life Brings Problems

And In Fiji Modern

Should women visitors to Fiji’s outer islands and villages be advised to dress modestly, lest they offend their Fijian hosts?

The question came up at a recent Fiji Visitors Bureau board meeting.

Members felt it deserved serious consideration. After all, tourism is spreading now to once-remote islands, where the villagers are not so accustomed to the brevity of some West ern dress.

Mr. T. O’Neill, representing the Department of Tourism on the board, said villagers had sometimes complained about what they felt was immodest dress, particularly among women.

In the Yasawas, for instance, visitors sometimes went ashore from cruise ships wearing only very brief swimsuits. He con sidered the bureau had a responsibility in law to ensure that the sensibilities of local people were not offended.

Mr. Sharda Nand suggested that cruise operators provide scantily dressed tourists with grass skirts and sulus when they go ashore in the Yasawas.

“Tourists feel that because we have bright sunshine, they should be able to wear what we might consider unconven tional dress,” he said. “But in the outer islands, this might require a degree of delicacy— why not give them grass-skirts”

Mr. Sakiasi Waqanivavalagi said there should be no thought of dictating standards of dress to visitors. “The Fijian people themselves must change their attitudes as time passes—the foreigners are not to blame,” he said.

He suggested that the FVB employ an officer to go into the islands, meet villagers and explain to them that they should not be offended by the customs of visitors.

The managing director, Mr.

Rory Scott, pointed out that the bureau could guide, but it could not control dress. “There is no specific suggestion from the FBC on what to wear—we feel we’ve got to be tactful,” he remarked.