28 Jul 2005

Fiji dismisses Australian travel advisory

2:00 pm on 28 July 2005

The Fiji Visitors bureau is rejecting Australian claims that the country is unsafe.

Australia has issued a travel advisory, saying travellers to Fiji should be cautious of possible violence that may erupt in the politically charged country.

Tensions are once again as Fiji's parliament consider the Reconciliation, Tolerance and Unity Bill, which would grant immunity to those involved in the 2000 coup.

But chief executive of the Fiji Visitors Bureau, Bill Gavoka, says the reports are false and Fiji is one of the safest corners of the Pacific.

New Zealand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs says it is reviewing the situation in Fiji, but at this stage is not issuing a travel warning.