specialist fiji travel

Welcome to the Fiji Matai Specialist Training Programme

In Fijian 'Matai’ means to be knowledgeable or to be an expert in something. In the travel industry, knowledge equals confidence to recommend plus the credibility to close a sale. We have created this online training tool to help you become an expert in happiness!

Start your Fiji Matai Specialist journey today and register now!

What Will I Learn?

First, you’ll dip your toes in – learning the important Fiji basics including getting there and getting around. Before moving on to more in-depth courses that will allow you to familiarise yourself with Fiji’s unique offerings and activities, get more qualified Fiji sales leads by optimising your social media and benefit from insider tips from Fiji’s top resorts.

Why Register?

Become a Fiji Matai Specialist in your own time, from anywhere. Learning is part of the sales journey and we want to make sure that you have all the right information and tools to create the best Fiji itineraries for your clients. We have redeveloped our Matai programme with courses designed to be fun and interactive. If you previously qualified as a Matai Specialist please re-register and enroll on the new programme.

Training Courses

Active Experiences

Fiji's pristine waters, white sand beaches, and lush rainforests make up a perfect natural wonderland for a plethora of adventure activities. Whether your clients are traveling with friends, family or their partner, they'll find everything from culturally immersive experiences to adrenaline pumping activities and everything in between here! 

Off the Beaten Track Regions

For a more unique experience, head away from the popular tourist spots and discover some of lesser known regions around Fiji such as the Suncoast. Blue Lagoon and Vanua Levu.

Introduction to Fiji

Here you'll learn everything you need to know to recommend the best regions to suit your clients needs and what they can do when they get there. You'll also know the best ways to get to and around the many islands of Fiji. 

Best Known Regions

Start your exploration by looking at some of the most popular regions of Fiji. From the bustling city of Nadi to the famous Mamanuca Islands. 

Relaxed Experiences

Discover Fiji's famous luxury experiences from sailing crystal clear waters to beautiful white-sand weddings and romantic honeymoons. 

Selling Fiji

This course will help you get bookings to Fiji sooner than you can say Bula!

Platform Statistics

Active courses, active users, courses passed.

Bite-size training courses with interactive content that will take you on a journey to fully understand Fiji as a destination and what products are on offer. There are six courses available, but more will be added in the future. Each course has different modules and chapters to work through, with fun knowledge-checks and a quiz at the end.

Certification and Status

We have introduced a three-tier status level to honor those Specialist who keep their training up and also actively sell Fiji. You will move from BRONZE to SILVER and can ultimately reach GOLD status. After reaching one of these milestones, you will be awarded with the relevant logo to use and a certificate. During your learning journey you will also be rewarded with digital course badges and certificates.

Registering for the Fiji Matai Program unlocks access to exclusive sales tools and benefits which will help you sell Fiji with confidence. To find out what it takes to become a BRONZE, SILVER or GOLD Fiji Matai Specialist and what benefits await you, click here .

Resource library

Our library will give you access to useful assets such as brochures, creative sample itineraries, fact sheets, resort boat transfer schedules, contact list of our suppliers in Fiji , recorded webinars and the link to our extensive image library.

Webinars, roadshows & famils

Never miss a webinar held by one of our regional Tourism Fiji staff to complement your e-learning! As a Specialist you will also get invites to exclusive roadshows and from SILVER status onwards you will be eligible for famil invitations.

Knowledge forum

Created to help and support your knowledge building, the knowledge forum is your meeting place within the Fiji Matai Specialist “vuvale” (Fijian for family). Be part of our community and share your own expertise, experiences or throw in a question you need answers to!

Start your journey as a Fiji Specialist today!

Nobody Knows Fiji Better

How we began.

We are a family owned and operated business selling and planning trips to Fiji since our inception in 1985. The founder of Great Destinations Travel, a full service travel agency, Michael Pomeroy, and his wife Teresa settled on their Honeymoon destination in the FIJI ISLANDS back in 1973! Since 1973, the Pomeroy’s have returned yearly to Fiji and vowed to never stay at the same resort twice.

Now, after having traveled to many South Pacific Islands such as the Solomon’s, Tonga, Cooks, American Samoa, French Polynesia etc. the Pomeroy Family always gravitated back to FIJI! We want to share our passion for the islands and love for the Fijian people and culture with you!

Pure Love & Passion for Fiji

Meet our fiji vacations team.

Our Matai-certified Fiji Travel Specialists are ready to share our Fiji passion with you.

Melissa Pomeroy

Cheryl Jacobson

Haile Brant

Maria Smith

Tiffany Hans

Have a question see our faq or click let's talk fiji, let us share our pure love & passion of fiji with you.

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Milwaukee's Fiji Vacation & Travel Specialist

Ni Sa Bula – a warm Fijian greeting.

That is truly what you receive when you arrive in Fiji. A Fijian band plays rhythmic music at the airport, welcoming flights. At each resort, you are greeted with lovely wooden bead lei necklaces or flowers.

Fiji offers a range of accommodations – from private island resorts with amenities and dining that are world class to moderate resorts with lots of character. Treehouse and beachfront “bure” accommodations are also available!

Many resorts offer special honeymoon amenities such as champagne, fruit baskets, or the traditional Sulu (wrap garment).

Call us! Fiji awaits! (414) 258-8715

Weddings & Vow Renewals

Beautiful scenery, secluded warm water beaches.

Weddings and vow renewals can be easily arranged, complete with a traditional warrior escort and the beautiful, fragrant “Salusalu” – flower garlands worn around the necks of the bride and groom… or they can be very simple affairs, depending on your choice. Some guests’ fondest memories are delightful Fijian wedding ceremonies held at sunset, along the shores of the famous Blue Lagoon, followed by a wedding feast. All of this epitomizes romance in Fiji!

The beautiful scenery of Fiji is diverse. Fiji has white sand beaches and black sand beaches. Towering volcanic peaks and jungle rivers will allure you while azure to turquoise shades of water will astound you. Turtle Island is award-winning for their commitment to sustainable tourism so you’ll discover they are both a high-end resort and responsible member of the community!

Fiji has over 300 islands, many of which are uninhabited, allowing resorts to arrange picnics “for couples only” on a private beach. What could be more romantic than to have an “island” to yourselves for the afternoon? (Ashley and JP from ABC’s  The Bachelorette got engaged here!)

You can enjoy soft adventure, such as a Bilibili raft rides, swimming, and snorkeling – or if extreme adventure is more to your liking, there are 10-day guided tours of the back roads, actually spent cycling for most of the time.

Fiji is also known as the “soft coral capital of the world” and is a world-class area to SCUBA dive either from shore or live-aboard boats. Shot over jet rides and surfing are also available. Golf courses are professionally rated and a real bargain.

Family life in Fiji is structured around the village or extended family. Visits to a traditional village to meet the chief and drink the kava is an outstanding way to get a glimpse into this fascinating culture.

Fiji is another land all together. It’s slightly further than Tahiti but completely worth it. Fiji Airways offers nightly nonstop service from LAX to Nadi with only 11 hours of flight time. In Fiji all of your worries seem far away, because they are. Surrounded by the tranquil blue waters, happiness will always find you.

When visiting Fiji, you’ll likely stay in a bure. “ Bure ” is the Fijian word for a wood-and-straw hut, sometimes similar to what we in the U.S. would call a cabin. Think of the term bure as being synonymous with bungalow. The resorts offer all styles of bures from standard to ultra-luxurious. We recommend the beachfront or oceanview bures to enhance your vacation experience. Unlike French Polynesia, Fiji only has one resort featuring overwater bures.

Make your Fijian holiday even more amazing with a visit to Australia or New Zealand  afterwards.

Turtle Island, Fiji

Turtle Island is the ultimate playground for couples (and families at certain times of the year) providing a plethora of activities like horseback riding and snorkeling, world-class dining, and romance.

Taking your vows on a pristine beach with impossibly blue waters lapping the shore, celebrating your new marriage in a secluded cottage (“bure”) with breath-taking views, or commemorating a life-long romance with your spouse, Turtle Island can make your dream romantic getaway a reality.

Turtle Island is blessed with 14 white, powdery, pristine beaches. Some are adjacent to living and dining areas, and some are completely isolated, bounded by high cliffs or set within a cove. Your time here is your own.

Stroll along your own private beach, wade in the turquoise waters, cruise on a sailboat, or experience the abundant sea life by snorkeling or scuba diving with one of our Fijian guides. It’s all included in the price of your vacation. Couples can reserve their own private beach for the day and enjoy their own exotic, romantic picnic luncheon with delicacies such as lobster and champagne—it’s your meal to create. Lose your inhibitions. Read a book. Sip cocktails. Work on an all-over tan. It’s your beach. It’s your time.

Intimate and romantic dining in remote, private locations; breakfasts on your own private beach; open-air picnics; moonlight dinners by the seaside; meals under the stars by lantern light on a floating pontoon in the middle of the Blue Lagoon; fun-filled community dinners with the rest of the guests—Turtle Island creates dining experiences that you will never forget! Group dinner parties are held every night at several locations around the island, where you can linger for hours among new-found friends, and have stimulating conversations with guests and the Turtle family alike. After dinner, take in the talented, entertaining Fijians as they inspire you with local, favorite songs and dances.

Four Things You Might Not Know about Turtle Island in Fiji

• Turtle Island has its very own airline! Turtle Airways provides a top-class charter service to get you from Nadi International Airport to the beaches of Turtle Island in just 40 minutes.
• You can reserve the entire island for your special event! Our 500-acre paradise is perfect for your destination wedding group, corporate retreat, family reunion, or group gathering.
• Turtle Island has 14 private beaches! You and your love can be dropped off at a private beach for the day and enjoy complete privacy and seclusion. Call your Bure Mama (your EXCLUSIVE personal liaison for island life!) by walkie-talkie to deliver a champagne and lobster picnic – to die for!
• When you book your travel dates to Turtle Island you can put your deposit down and make payments up until 45 days before your trip! Put as little, or as much as you like towards your trip and as far in advance as two years!

Call or e-mail us for professional advice from a travel agent that has been to Fiji several times and is a Matai Fiji Specialist with the Fijian Tourist Board!

Thinking of Taking a Fiji Vacation?

Lisa Hoppe Travel Consulting can get you to there! Lisa is a Fiji specialist who has traveled to these islands multiple times. With firsthand knowledge of the resorts, the styles of accommodation and the excursions, she can arrange a completely customized itinerary for your vacation or honeymoon.

Whether you choose a traditional air+land vacation or opt to visit these islands via cruise ship, privacy comes naturally. You can relax on secluded beaches, snorkel crystal clear waters or watch the fish swim under your overwater bungalow.

No VISAs are required for U.S. and Canadian citizens.

Traveling around these small islands takes a huge amount of coordination with flights, hotels, ferry rides and transfers. To avoid making costly mistakes all you need to do is contact Lisa. She will turn all of your ideas into one flawless itinerary. It’s very easy to plan your trip to this exotic destination – just call Lisa Hoppe Travel Consulting!

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Refresh and shake-up for fiji's official training scheme.

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The relaunched Matai features a three-tier system and enables agents to reacquaint themselves with the destination following the reopening of Fiji’s international borders on 1 December 2021 due to the global COVID-19 pandemic.

The completely new program provides a better user interface experience for enhanced functionality, with additional courses and modules still to be introduced offering tips for selling Fiji.

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Brent Hill, CEO of Tourism said: “We’re excited about this brand-new course that will deliver updated and engaging content covering all our key pillars and niche tourism products across Fiji’s twelve regions.

“After 20 months of border closures, the travel industry has changed, and we felt it was important to update and change our training programme, to help new agents coming into the industry learn the destination or allow previously registered agents to relearn and get updates on the destination again in a new and refreshed way,” Hill said.

The Matai 2.0 program will be equipped with creative interactive maps, new fact sheets and product videos, all intricately designed with rewards and benefits that will include free flights, exclusive invites, places on familiarisation trips and invitations to marketing activities and events, among others.

“It is an incredible destination, and we have some incredible products for visitors, we hope this course helps educate and empower agents to better sell Fiji!” Hill continued.

The new three-tier system means training and learning won’t stop once agents have become a Fiji Matai Specialist ( BRONZE level ), with agents now having the ability to reach SILVER and GOLD levels , unlocking additional benefits as they go through the tiers. Agents will be able to discover all the tourism products and experiences Fiji currently has to offer and learn how to help their clients select a region that is perfect for them, including understanding the best resorts for luxury, romance, diving, adventure, and other niche experiences as well as MICE and business events.

Among the perks, BRONZE Fiji Matai Specialists will be able to download a certificate with the logo to share in their communication with clients. SILVER Specialists will have access to airline benefits and are provided with a listing on Tourism Fiji’s consumer-facing website. While GOLD Specialists will earn an invitation to Tourism Fiji’s Global Matai annual Conference in Fiji, and can take advantage of coop-marketing funds to promote the destination.

Jason Sacriz, Tourism Fiji’s Trade Partnerships Manager for Australia , said “Having almost two years without international visitors in Fiji has allowed our team to work with new content creators and shoot new imagery and videos which we know will keep inspiring agents to sell Fiji, bringing Fiji to life as they learn, and ultimately bringing more Australians to Fiji when they sell.”

Registration is now open to travel advisors from 14 key markets, including Australia and New Zealand. Agents can sign up at specialist.fiji.travel/ – agents who sign up and achieve bronze level before 31 May will be in with a chance to win prizes including return tickets to Fiji, famil spots and Pure Fiji gift packs.

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