The 137 women taking part in the September contest will swap bikinis for more conservative attire, such as traditional sarongs, for the beach fashion section.
The contest is being held on the resort island of Bali, where foreign tourists flock in their millions and the beaches are packed with women sunbathing in skimpy swimwear.
But Miss World Organisation chairwoman Julia Morley insisted that none of the pageant's contestants would wear a bikini.
Bikinis have long been a feature of the Miss World beauty pageant. Picture: AFP
"I don't want to upset or get anyone in a situation where we are being disrespectful," she said from London.
