Concern over swine flu risk to Pacific tourism
Updated
The threat of swine flu continues to grow, and while authorities in the Pacific have not imposed any special measures the tourist industry is taking the threat seriously. Almost a hundred-and-50 people have now died in Mexico, the United States and Canada have confirmed cases, and more cases are strongly suspected in New Zealand. Earlier on Tuesday the World Health Organisation increased its alert on the disease to stage 4 of a possible 6, meaning there's sustained human to human transmission of the virus.
Presenter Jemima Garrett
Speakers: World Health OrganisationAssistant Director-General Dr Keiji Fukuda, Fiji Hotels Association Chairman Dixon Seeto, South-Pacific dot travel CEO Tony Everitt
- Listen:
- Windows Media
GARRETT: Swine flu follows SARS and bird flu as a disease capable of becoming a deadly international pandemic. In Mexico, where the outbreak started, almost 2,000 people are known to have been infected and 149 have died. The group of students in New Zealand who are suffering flu symptoms after spending three weeks in Mexico are also thought to have contracted the virus. So far those infected outside Mexico have had a milder form of the disease but the World Health Organisation is still worried enough to lift the threat level to phase 4. Assistant Director-General, Dr Keiji Fukuda, explained to a media conference in Geneva just what that means.
FUKUDA: What this can really be interpreted as is a significant step towards pandemic influenza, but also it is a phase which says that we are not there yet. In other words, at this time, we think that we have taken a step in that direction, but a pandemic is not considered inevitable at this time.
GARRETT: Dr Keiji Fukuda. The World Health Organisation is not recommending closing borders or restricting travel. That will be good news for the tourist industry in the Pacific which has already been hit by the international financial crisis and by floods and political developments in Fiji. Health authorities in the region are monitoring developments closely. The region's peak tourist organisation now known as south-pacific dot travel is keeping is keeping a watching brief on swine flu.
EVERITT: It needs to be taken seriously, but at this stage, of course, there is absolutely no indication that it is in the Pacific Islands themselves and so it's really just a question of remaining calm, people going about there business, but being aware of what's happening in terms of the international situation.
GARRETT: Tony Everitt CEO of South-pacific dot travel. Tourist arrivals to Fiji dropped almost 30% in January and February and are still in a trough. Hotels Association Chairman Dixon Seeto says he sees two possible outcomes from swine flu.
SEETO: One is that with the fear of the disease, it could make travellers stay at home until the situation is stabilised and or better, eradicated. On the other hand, if Fiji is a swine flu free area, it may divert traffic that is destined for other areas to Fiji, especially from the major market of Australia, which contributes most of our arrivals.
GARRETT: Swine flue has already been identified in New Zealand. What chance do you really think Fiji has of staying Swine flu-free?
SEETO: I'm just hoping that if it's in New Zealand, that they have done enough to contain the disease in New Zealand. I think it's by these schoolchildren who contracted the disease while they were in Mexico and prevent it from spreading and hopefully I mean for all of us, we really want this disease contained and eradicated.
GARRETT: Fiji Hotels Association Chairman Dixon Seeto. The SARS outbreak in 2003 lasted around six months and had its most dramatic affects in Asia. At the time, Tony Everitt, was Tourism New Zealand's manager in Singapore.
EVERITT: Well, what we learned from that was the importance of accurate information, looking at the facts, remaining calm, and really managing things on a day-to-day basis and most importantly, the lessons from SARS is the importance of hygiene. It's something that is easy for people to get, people tend to look for a magic bullet. They look for a flash scientific solutions. When it comes to influenza, what your grandmother told you which is wash your hands before you eat your lunch and pay attention to your basic hygiene is important, because your grandmother likely lived through the Spanish flu of 1918, and that's why grandmothers tell us to do those things, because they know. So that is probably the key issue for people to be aware of at this stage.
