Garuda Indonesia launching Manado-Guangzhou flights

National airline Garuda Indonesia plans to introduce direct flights between Manado, the main city in North Sulawesi, and Guangzhou, China.

Announced during a Sulawesi tourism show, governor Djouhari Kansil said the carrier will launch the service in July.

No further details have been released regarding the specific start date or frequency, however Garuda will also start a direct flight from Manado to Bali next month, a government spokesman said.

Exposure from the Manado tourism roadshow, coupled with the announcement of the new flights will spur more general tourism to the region from Bali, governor Kansil believes.  

The event is specifically aimed at tourism stakeholders in Bali – particularly tour companies – to encourage more foreign and domestic travelers to visit the island of Sulawesi.

Manado is well known in scuba diving circles as the gateway to the Bunaken National Marine Park, one of the world’s top diving regions but local tourism leaders hope the event can showcase the region’s other tourist attractions.