The Executive Editor of American Destinations for Performance Media group believes the US leisure traveler is a worthwhile target for Tourism Fiji.

Well travelled tourism editor and writer James Ruggia was one of the three international media figures at the Tourism Fiji's joint US/New Zealand Matai convention earlier this week.

Ruggia said the US traveler is a really good market because they spend more per head than any other traveler in the world.

Tourism Fiji CEO Joasefa Tuamoto said while they have pledged to springboard 600,000 visitors to Fiji in 2010, visitor numbers are not the only factor but also the need to push up the yield.

Tuamoto said if they can create the right demand, it is possible that Tourism Fiji's marketing arms aim for one million visitors by 2016 can be achieved.

Meanwhile, the renowned operators like Nai'a Fiji, Toberua Island resort, Rydges Hideaway resort and Vatulele Island resort have responded well to the US-NZ Matai exchange program.

Matai specialists, who are an extension of Fiji's tourism operators in their respective countries, are essentially knowledge pool on Fiji products and Fiji.

The program has been running for some ten years and is an annual event on the Tourism Fiji calendar.

Tourism Fiji expects to fly into Fiji Australian Matais at the end of this month and will launch the program in Germany next year.