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Salient. Victoria University Student Newspaper. Volume 37, Number 9. 1st May 1974

Are we hypocritical?

Are we hypocritical?

This question can be asked because New Zealand relishes the fact that each year thousands more Australians and Americans flock to our shores. We ourselves look to mass tourism for a valuable source of overseas funds. Are we trying to press the Pacific Islands and Fiji in particular to forego the fruits of tourism New Zealand positively delights in?

We do wish to see mass tourism severely limited in the South Pacific but this is not being false to our neighbours. New Zealand can absorb with much less trouble a mass of strangers. They largely look like another bunch of Pakehas, they come to see the scenery. They don't expect Kiwis to manifest 'strange' or 'primitive' ways.

But for the Pacific islands its quite another matter. Brochures tell that in Fiji the tourist can see the Fijian 'natives' dressed in grass skirts and performing their war dances, both of which they abandoned generations ago. The true character of the racial structure of Fiji is also distorted. Only the indigenous component gets the attention, the Indian and Chinese groups being ignored.

The tourist promoter exploits the indigenous culture for he sees the Fijians' way of life, traditions and customs in a commercial way. One promoter brought a 'tourist advisor' from Hawaii to tell the Fijians in his employ how to act as Fijians. They were given cards to carry around on which is printed a poem about smiling. They were expected to smile all the time at this hotel regardless of their feelings.