One of the largest companies in the United States dealing with group and corporate travel is expected to recommend Fiji as an ideal location to its clients following a week-long tour of properties in the country, two weeks ago.

Nine key representatives of American Express, headed by Mary Ann Bonitsky, the Manager of Group Travel and Business, arrived into the country on November 8 to source potential hotels for future corporate meetings, incentives and convention events.

American Express corporate services provides worldwide customers such as Tyco International, Motorola, PriceWaterhouseCoopers, ITT, Bank of America and Ernst and Young, with comprehensive meeting and conference management, special event planning and incentive travel services.

The local tour operator, which facilitated the trip of the high-level contingent, Southern World Fiji, claims since the tour of properties in Nadi, Sigatoka, Yasawa and Savusavu, they had continued to receive overwhelming and positive reviews from the team regarding Fiji's potential as an incentive and conventions market.

SWF general manager Robin Maivusaroko said the visit had Fiji hotels and destinations to showcase what the country had to offer for the US meeting, incentive, conference and exhibition market.

Mr Maivusaroko said even though the country had hosted a few conferences in the past, the team's visit had given the country the first opportunity to really take advantage of the conference and meeting market.

He said the high profile group were introduced to products in Fiji including resorts, cruise lines, unique events and excursions that reflected the beauty and diversity to convince the group to direct business Fiji's shores. During their tour of properties in Fiji they visited South Sea Orchids, First Landing Resort, Blue Lagoon Cruises, Shangri-La Fijian Resort, Kula Eco Park, Outrigger Reef Resort, Sheraton Resorts, Fiji Pearls, Koro Sun Resort and Namale Resort.

possible without the support of our national airline, Air Pacific, and their North American office, which initially contacted American Express," he said.

"They had heard about Fiji being an appealing and exotic destination with unbeatable hospitality, warmth and sincerity. So this trip was just basically to see whether Fiji had lived up to its name."

Mr Maivusaroko said following their tour of the group, their expectations of Fiji had been surpassed and they had guaranteed to promote Fiji as an incentive and conference destination.

American Express services team leader Barbara Cien said since returning to the US, they had been unable to stop talking about their trip.

"This was a trip to paradise," she said. "We cannot forget a minute of the trip and it has such wonderful memories of all that was provided to us. We are still whirling with delight!"

Mr Maivusaroko said in order to take full advantage of the business, there had to be full co-operation among all tour operators and resorts in the country.