Tourist decline
The drop in tourist numbers should come as no surprise. And the long-term economic implications are serious. First, changed weather because of climate change and warmer seas mean more rain, high humidity, and intense heat, which coincide with peak months of Australian and New Zealand holidays. Second, the associated rise in dengue fever and dubious medical treatment is probably another factor. Third, outside niche island resorts, the Denarau bubble and its tours, Fiji offers poor beaches (compared with those in Australia), dirty towns, traffic congestion, tacky night-spots, and bad food. Fourth, most visitors on holiday or planning don’t read about the “real” Fiji in The Fiji Times: drugs, crime, rape, murky politics, etc. Nevertheless, word gets around. Fifth, the staggering rise in cost-of-living in NZ and Australia this past few years, along with the massive despondency hanging over international affairs, are bound to cause some from those countries to put off visiting Fiji or travelling anywhere. Though, paradoxically, it may also incentivise others. Hanging on to them is the issue. Last, hot, wet Fiji remains an astonishingly beautiful country, full of kind people, including those in the tourist industry whose professionalism and friendliness are in my experience unrivalled. For all their sakes, international travel in the context of the climate crisis relative to geo-political uncertainty, devoid of tourist hyperbole, should be a national priority. Christopher Griffin, Perth, Australia
Yeshnil Karan makes history
Yeshnil Karan broke a 54-year-old national record at the UniSports Australia Championships at the Gold Coast Performance Centre last Tuesday. The Fiji-born star from Tavua rewrote history by crossing the finish line in 30 minutes 19.92 seconds in the 10,000m race. Impressively, Karan also broke his own previous record. A Tavua boy who first rose to fame during the Coca-Cola Games is now proudly representing the nation on the international stage. Karan has shown tremendous progress over the years. Best of luck on your next race, Yeshnil. Here’s hoping another star is born at the Coke Games this weekend. May God bless all our athletes! RODNEY CLARENCE RAJ, Naleba, Labasa
You are not alone
The letter in your columns on April 22, 2025, by my friend Colin Deoki should find an honoured place in the annals of The Fiji Times. In 60 years of reading this newspaper, I have never seen in these columns an epistle like it. Colin bared his soul and opened his heart about the demons that have haunted him; to the shame, anger and fear that was embedded in his being; to the temptations and despair with which he wrestled. He tells us about many other aspects of his inner turmoil and the “relentless” exhausting battle to “barely survive”. The impact for me had special significance because it came from someone who, in my experience, is well balanced and measured in his letters. That’s how he was in his personal demeanour many years ago when we would meet in Suva on the music circuit. What Colin described also had a degree of personal resonance I could not deny. I called him to ask why he had gone public in this way. Our conversation stays with us. I honour Colin for his courage. I laud him for his deep faith in Jesus Christ who bears his sins, rids him of his torments, and who opened the door to his freedom. Let me quote Colin: “The chains that once bound me have been shattered by a love that never lets go.” “…I can rise again and again, not because I’m strong, but because He is.” Amen to that. Matt Wilson, Nadi
