TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
Anger as Fiji tourism ad swaps 'church' for 'toilet'
Change text size
Gift Premium Articles
to Anyone
Share the best of The Jakarta Post with friends, family, or colleagues. As a subscriber, you can gift 3 to 5 articles each month that anyone can read—no subscription needed!
The 333 islands of Fiji are not limited to only seas and sandy beaches, but there are also waterfalls, lakes and volcanoes. (Fiji Airways/File)
T
ourism Fiji has apologized after an advertisement featuring indigenous terms mixed up the words for "church" and "toilet", causing outrage in the deeply religious Pacific nation.
The advertisement, intended as a primer in the iTaukei (Fijian) language for international visitors, translated "vale ni lotu" as toilet.
It actually means house of worship, or church, and the mistake angered many, including opposition leader Ro Teimumu Kepa.
"Outraged and disgusted that an organization like Tourism Fiji would allow the release of a promotional video on their social media platforms without proper vetting or proof reading," she tweeted.
Read also: Traveling to Fiji? Here's some interesting facts about the country
"A gross insult and humiliation to the first settlers of this country and the people of Fiji."
It was unclear why the words were muddled up in the video. Tourism Fiji withdrew the advertisement and issued an apology, blaming the error on a production mistake.
"The mistake was due to a mismatch of graphic design and the post was removed as soon as we became aware of it," it said in a statement.
"We take full responsibility for the error and sincerely regret any offence."
