Reciprocative visit from Manado's agents and hoteliers

2 October 2024

KOTA KINABALU: A delegation of travel agents and hoteliers from Manado, the capital of North Sulawesi, recently visited Sabah to view tourism potentials and business opportunities.

This visit was a reciprocal gesture following last month’s trip by Sabah travel agents, which coincided with the launch of AirAsia's direct flights between Kota Kinabalu and Manado.

The delegation was led by Moh Dino Gobel, Special Staff to the Governor for Tourism and Investment of North Sulawesi Province.

During their stay, the delegation engaged in a business-to-business (B2B) session with local travel agencies from around Kota Kinabalu.

They also attended presentations from several Sabah medical centres, including Gleneagles Kota Kinabalu, KPJ Sabah Specialist Hospital, Jesselton Medical Centre, and Sabah Care Family Centre.

As mentioned by the Consul Economic Function of the Indonesian Consulate General in Kota Kinabalu, Lingga Setiawan, Sabah has the potential to tap into the medical tourism sector.

According to him, many people from Manado travel to Jakarta for medical treatment.

"Sabah is closer to Manado and also boasts one of the tallest statues of Jesus Christ in Asia, the fourth tallest in the world, making it an attractive destination for pilgrimage tours," he said.

Welcome Manado Tours Managing Director, Reenaldo Wangkar, stated that besides the B2B session, the delegation also had the opportunity to sample some of the attractions around the city and Kundasang.

“We visited Rainbow Island to enjoy the tranquillity of the surroundings and travelled to the highlands to see the Desa Dairy Farm,” he said.

Funholiday Managing Director, Connie Chong, noted that both Sabah and Manado have unique culinary offerings, cultures, and attractions.

“This is an excellent opportunity for us to introduce each other’s destinations, and we hope all the travel agencies will promote this market to ensure its sustainability,” she said.

"We must do our part to support this sector. Previously, it was inconvenient to travel to Manado and vice versa, as we had to transit through Balikpapan.

“Now, with direct flights three times a week, it takes just two hours and ten minutes to reach the destination," she added.