Friday, 20 December 2024
Tourism Fiji relief as no methanol found in drinks investigation
by Rose White
Fiji’s tourism industry is breathing a sigh of relief as it was confirmed that no trace of illicit substances such as methanol had been found in the drinks consumed by seven people, including four Australian women, who fell ill in the destination recently.
The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Tourism, Viliame Gavoka, revealed the test results yesterday. They showed no evidence of illicit drugs or excess alcohol in the drinks, reportedly pina coladas, which were served to the seven people at the Warwick resort on the Coral Coast before they fell ill and were hospitalised.
“I can confirm that no illicit substances or methanol were found in the … ingredients or liquor samples,” he said. “We also pleased to inform you that all of the affected tourists and the local have now been discharged from medical care, fully recovered.
“This is a significant relief and we are grateful for the swift medical attention and care provided to the visitors during this incident.”
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Tourism Fiji CEO Brent Hill described it as “a difficult four days with a relieving conclusion”.
“While of course we empathise with the tourists who’s holiday ended abruptly due to illness, we are so relieved that they’ve recovered and headed home, and that it was confirmed as we had thought, that no methanol poisoning had occurred,” he said.
“Our authorities will continue to try and find the cause, but thankfully it wasn’t sinister nor as bad as the recent Laos tragedy.”
It is set to be a busy summer for Fiji, with the destination recently reporting record numbers from the Australian market.
“The Fijian tourism industry is mightily relieved, coming at a peak holiday period and heading into a big year ahead,” Hill said. “We are grateful to the Aspen medical team, and all who worked on this around the clock.”
Meanwhile, Warwick Resort released a statement highlighting its commitment to food and beverage safety as it confirmed it continues to work with the authorities to determine exactly what took place.
“We are committed to to ensuring a a safe and enjoyable experience for everyone who visits our resort,” it said.
“We want to reassure all our visitors that we maintain the highest standards of food and beverage safety.
“We remain committed to the health and safety of our guests, and we are with our guests every step of the way as we investigate this unfortunate incident.”
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