Diveplanit recently hosted a targeted familiarisation program for North American dive club managers, designed to show just how easy it now is to combine the Great Barrier Reef and Fiji into a single, high-value group dive itinerary.
For many international dive clubs, both destinations have long sat on the “must dive” list — but combining them efficiently has often felt logistically out of reach. This program was created to change that.
Why We Designed This Program
Fiji is already a well-established and much-loved dive destination for North American divers. Cairns and the Great Barrier Reef, while iconic, have traditionally required more complex routing and additional domestic flights.
With Fiji Airways’ direct Nadi–Cairns service, operating three times per week and connecting seamlessly from Los Angeles, Dallas–Fort Worth and Vancouver, that barrier has been removed.
Our goal was simple: show dive club managers, firsthand, how easily these two destinations now fit together in one trip — without wasted travel days.
Starting in Cairns: More Than Just a Liveaboard Gateway
The 12-night itinerary commenced in Cairns, deliberately positioning the destination as more than a fly-in, fly-out liveaboard stop. Participants stayed in four-star accommodation at the Pullman Reef Casino before boarding a three-night liveaboard expedition to the Ribbon Reefs, diving some of the Great Barrier Reef’s most remote and pristine sites.
We also included immersive topside experiences — a full-day Daintree Rainforest tour with award winning tour company; FNQ Nature Tours, and a Mandingalbay Authentic Indigenous Cultural Tour — to demonstrate how Cairns works for longer stays, surface intervals, and mixed-interest groups.
For dive club managers, this was a key takeaway: Cairns can comfortably support multi-day itineraries that appeal to a wide range of members, not just hardcore divers.
Onward to Fiji: Familiar, but Different
From Cairns, the group travelled onward to Fiji, experiencing two very different dive regions. The Fiji portion included stays at Waidroka Bay Resort, featuring Fiji’s renowned shark dive, and Volivoli Beach Resort, known for its colourful reefs and excellent visibility. The contrast between the Great Barrier Reef’s scale and structure and Fiji’s soft corals and reef diversity reinforced why these destinations complement each other so well in a single itinerary.
What the Results Told Us
This program wasn’t just about showcasing destinations — it was about testing demand. Each participating dive club manager represented a club with members in the hundreds. Every participant committed to returning with a group of 10–20 divers within 24 months, with one confirmed group of 24 divers already booked as a direct outcome.
As Diveplanit Business Development Manager Deborah Dickson-Smith explains: “While the confirmed group trips provide guaranteed return on investment, the longer-term impact comes from word-of-mouth advocacy and organic social media exposure generated by influential dive travel managers who have now experienced both the Great Barrier Reef and Fiji firsthand.”
Why Connectivity Matters
The ease of travel was a recurring theme throughout the program. As Kamal Haer, Chief Marketing & Sales Officer at Fiji Airways, noted: “The direct Nadi–Cairns route is a transformational step in connecting North American travellers to Tropical North Queensland. It not only broadens access to one of the world’s most iconic marine environments but enhances tourism exchange between our regions, making it easier for travellers to fly between North America and Northern Australia.”
For dive clubs, this means fewer flights, less fatigue, and more time doing what members actually travel for — diving.
How Diveplanit Supports Dive Clubs
At Diveplanit, we specialise in group dive travel and understand the unique challenges dive club managers face.
We take care of:
- International and regional airfares
- Liveaboards, resorts and hotels
- Dive logistics, permits, equipment hire and transfers
- Coordinating multiple destinations into one smooth itinerary
Our role is to remove the complexity — so dive club leaders can focus on delivering an exceptional experience for their members.
Thinking About Your Next International Dive Club Trip?
If you’re an international dive club manager considering Fiji, the Great Barrier Reef — or other South Pacific dive destinations — and want to understand how easily they can be combined into one trip, we’d love to share what we’ve learned.
Two iconic dive destinations. One seamless itinerary. Designed for dive clubs.
Visit www.diveplanit.com/travel-agents to find out more.
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