Direct flight links MSAR to Manado, Indonesia

Some 205 Chinese travellers took off from Macau International Airport and arrived in Ratulangi International Airport, North Sulawesi, Indonesia by Lion Air’s Boeing 373 on Monday, reported Chinese News Agency. This represents the opening of the direct link between the SAR and Manado, a city on an Indonesian island.

North Sulawesi Governor Olly Dondokambey expects that direct visits from a number of cities in China can be done regularly so that the Indonesian government’s target to increase tourist arrivals can be achieved.

Lion Air is seeking to attract 30,000 Chinese tourists to Manado by year-end. “From now, we will have daily flights from six Chinese cities to Manado,” said Rusdi Kirana, Lion Group boss, and a member of the Presidential Advisory Board.
The six cities are Macau, Shenzhen, Chongqing, Wuhan, Shanghai and Changsha. Rusdi said the six cities have huge market potential, large populations and high purchasing power.

The Indonesian Government has expressed its target of attracting 1.2 million Chinese tourists to the country and North Sulawesi can be one of the main attractions, says its governor. “We believe North Sulawesi is a proper travel destination [for tourists] from Asia Pacific, particularly China with its huge market,” said the governor.