The Fiji Times recently ran an editorial urging taxi drivers to stop ripping off visitors, immigration officials to stop chewing gum and being so grumpy, and shop assistants to stop their rude hassling of customers. But mostly it encouraged its citizens to refrain from urinating on tourists.

The paper reported that an incident in March last year, in which a drunk Fijian soldier exposed himself on an airplane and urinated on a Japanese woman, has done untold damage to Fiji.

"This unforgivable offence has caused untold damage in Japan a market which Fiji has strived for decades to cultivate," the newspaper said.

"All it takes is one moment of stupidity to paint a black picture of this nation and her people in a lucrative market. The incident has generated widespread, negative publicity at a time when we need it the least."

The editorial went on to point out that urinating on tourists brings on “global notoriety” and “unwanted exposure” for the country.