Australia bans bikinis ahead of summit

Bikini-clad sunbathers have been banned from an Australian resort to save the blushes of international leaders at a summit Down Under.

The sight of the scantily dressed females may prove too offensive to Muslim guests attending the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) next month, it has been ruled.

Organisers of the event have ordered Sunshine Coast Tourism to remake a CD-rom showing images of models advertising the best Australia's Sunshine Coast has to offer - clear blue ocean, pristine sandy beaches, palm trees and sunshine.

Each delegate was to receive one of the CDs on arrival at the Hyatt Hotel in Coolum. The images, and those in brochures advertising the area's resorts, have been deemed too daring for some visitors by the organisers running CHOGM which will be opened by the Queen on 2 March.

Now, not only will delegates not see any images of women in promotional material, bikinis are banned from the hotel's pool too.

The cover-up order is to be enforced in the grounds and pools at two hotels reserved for CHOGM delegates. Organisers have warned there will be no outside guests, so there won't be a bikini in sight.

The ban has been criticised by tourism operators and locals alike.

Queensland's premier, Peter Beattie, who is hoping the conference will put Queensland on the world map, said the organisers were being too sensitive. "People are entitled to wear bikinis. That's part of our culture in the same way that Muslim countries have different standards of dress and we respect their culture," said Mr Beattie.

Andrew Reynolds, of the CHOGM taskforce, said it had been decided to remove images of bikini-clad women from promotional material for fear of insulting those from Muslim countries saying: "I think we can be sensitive and sensible about other people's cultural differences."

Reigning Miss Australia, bikini model Eva Millick, joined in the debate, saying: "They are taking it to the extreme. They are hiding the Australian way of life - that is the beach, the sun, wearing bikinis and having fun. There's nothing offensive about a bikini."