30 November 2009

Travel writers write off Fiji

SYDNEY ââ¬' The Australian Society of Travel Writers has decided against accepting an invitation from Fiji to host its 2010 annual meeting.

The ASTW committee, in reaching its decision, flagged that future offshore annual meetings would have to be considered carefully in light of the controversy surrounding the Fiji invite.

The International Federation of Journalists was among those objecting to the proposed ASTW visit to Fiji, ââ¬Åâœin view of the Fiji military regimeââ¬â¢s strict censorship and hardline in controlling news reportingââ¬~.

In a message to its members, the ASTW committee wrote:

"A number of members voiced their objections, both verbally and in writing, to the proposal from Fiji Tourism to hold the ASTW's Annual General Meeting in Fiji in 2010.

ââ¬ÅâœThe committee received two formal written objections which it tabled at its 17 November meeting.

ââ¬ÅâœThe Yahoo Group forum received a number of postings discussing the matter, and some members even went as far as anonymously contacting the International Federation of Journalists to lobby the ASTW committee not to hold its AGM in Fiji.

ââ¬ÅâœItââ¬â¢s interesting to note that of the 144 members who attended the AGM in Bangkok, not one raised an objection to Fiji when it was presented.

ââ¬ÅâœThis has caused the ASTW a great deal of embarrassment, considering that Fiji Tourism was actually invited to submit a proposal by a representative of the previous committee in the first place.

ââ¬ÅâœIt has caused a few new committee members a great deal of time (and lost income) spent in damage control and answering media enquiries for a situation they had no hand in creating.

ââ¬ÅâœThe result is that the current committee decided at its first committee meeting to reverse the recommendation made by the previous committee at its 21 August meeting, and determined that it is not practical to hold the meeting in Fiji in 2010.

ââ¬ÅâœThis is not only because of the strong objections raised by some members and the doubt over whether we would achieve a quorum at the AGM, but because of the workload that the volunteer committee would incur in defending any decision in support of Fiji over the next year.

ââ¬ÅâœAs an apolitical organisation, it is probably not in the best interests of the ASTW to comment on the politics of a given country, and any such comments would need to represent the sentiments of all or the majority of members.

ââ¬ÅâœThis episode has however raised the issue of accepting proposals to hold future AGMs offshore given the number of countries around the world where politics may be an issue."

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• Why worry
  
  

  Fiji has lost nothing. Neither has any other country that does not lay out the red carpet. Many of the writers who are not going to Fiji are part of an elite group that is unrepresentative of the real Australian travel writers who wander the world writing stories without demanding five-star treatment, business class air fares etc before pulling out their notebooks.

  By Malcolm Andrews, Wednesday, December 9, 2009
• Why not Vanuatu?
  
  

  I know that the government and the people of Vanuatu welcomes all journalists from all countries without any restrictions. Come see why we are the "happiest people" country. Lukim yu Vanuatu

  By john nicholls, Tuesday, December 1, 2009