KEY POINTS:
Fiji's hotels are taking a hit from talk of a fourth coup, but their association is trying to stay positive about tourist safety to stem cancellations.
Dixon Seeto, president of the Fiji Hotel Association, told the Herald from Suva last night that bookings were down following "drastic" travel advisories in New Zealand and Australia warning tourists to stay away.
Mr Seeto said there had been cancellations among the association's about 150 members as well as drops in forward bookings. He could not provide figures as the situation was continually changing, but some hotels had had to "thin their staff out".
The association was still trying to project a positive image.
"If they aren't in Suva they won't even know if there's a coup going on."
People boarding flights to Fiji at Auckland Airport in the past few days seem to have adopted that stance.
A German tourist, Catherin Moll, said when she asked at the Air Pacific desk about safety she was told it was fine so long as she kept off the mainland.
"The woman told me 'this has happened three times before this year' and that it wouldn't be a problem."
The scare appears to have left Fijian residents nonplussed.
Navneet Singh, a representative soccer player returning to Nadi, said his mates were not even talking about it.
An Indo-Fijian family returning to Lautoka , supported Commodore Frank Bainimarama's efforts to bring the Fijian Government to account.
They did not want to be named and said previous coup perpetrators deserved to be penalised, which was all the military chief was trying to achieve.
But an indigenous Fijian family, who also did not want to be named, said Commodore Bainimarama was "childish" in what he was doing.
Alvin Kumar, who left Fiji as a teenager with his family after the 2000 coup, said Commodore Bainimarama was power hungry. He thought New Zealand should send in troops to help Fiji and force the commodore to resign.
Another Fijian, who did not want to be named, supported Commodore Bainimarama who he said was a friend.
"He should have a coup and get this corrupt Government out."
