The Australian Travel Industry Association (ATIA) has taken to mainstream media to drive consumer awareness that last weekend’s alcohol poisoning incident at the five-star Warwick Fiji should not reflect poorly on the island holiday destination.
Four Australian women were admitted to hospital in Lautoka, Fiji on Sunday after fears they had ingested methanol mixed into cocktails they consumed at one of the hotel’s bars, having fallen ill last weekend. Two of the Australian women have since returned home.
Speaking on the Nine Network’s Today breakfast TV show, Dean Long, CEO of ATIA, said Fiji remains “an amazingly safe destination”.
Long encouraged Australian’s with upcoming holiday plans to Fiji not to cancel, saying what happened at The Warwick appears to be a “one-off instance or a single act of something going wrong with that alcohol.”
“We’ve seen a magnificent response from the Fijian Government on this. They’ve reacted quickly. The Deputy Prime Minister has taken control.”
“It is very, very safe. No one should be cancelling.”
“It’s going to be a great Christmas time for them,” Long told Today.
Quizzed if travellers should be “worried” about staying at five-star resorts by Today‘s Samantha Armytage, Long said, “No, any five-star resort is very, very safe.
“Again, this is a one-off incident where something terrible has happened. The great news is everybody who has been impacted looks like they are making a full recovery. Two Australians are already back home.”
“These people have done everything right. Five-star hotel, reputable brand, making sure they got pre-mixed beverages… This is just a dreadful accident.”
“But the good news it, it will be safe. And if you are a bit worried. Take the can of beer or the cocktail away from the bar and consume it at your table where it’ll give you that extra level of security that your looking for.”
Long confirmed tourism authorities in Fiji were concerned by the incident, but noted that the Deputy PM, Viliame Gavok is also the Tourism Minister, and there is coordination with Fiji’s Department of Health, and the authority is working closely with the Australian Government. .
Long continued, saying “Nearly 406,000 Aussies visited Fiji last year. It’s a great destination to get to. The Australian Government is already carrying out chemical testing on what happened, so I think it’s been a very good response and people can take comfort in that.”
The ATIA chief’s message for Australian travellers with upcoming trips to Fiji was to “just take a breath.
“This is a one of instance. It’s not a regular occurrence.” Nervous travellers who were apprehensive could take take drink testing kits with them, he added.
“This is a one-off. Go to Fiji. Have a great time. Enjoy… it’s a very safe destination,” Long concluded.
