"Earlier, there were flights from Malaysia, Singapore, and several areas in China, but these stopped during the COVID-19 pandemic," Selvanus remarked in Manado on Sunday.
Tourism development in North Sulawesi, with a population of over 2.6 million, has shown a positive trend since the reopening of direct flights from several areas in China.
"In the near future, international flights from several countries will resume," he stated.
Selvanus highlighted that the regional government's efforts to open direct flights from several countries continue to stimulate the tourism sector through promotions.
"Of course, through tourism promotion, we will introduce Indonesia and North Sulawesi. Hopefully, it will improve the people's welfare," he remarked.
According to data from the North Sulawesi Central Statistics Agency (BPS), foreign tourist visits to the province in March 2025 increased by 25.91 percent, reaching 4,403 people.
This figure rose from 3,497 visitors in the previous month and is also higher than last year's total of 4,045 people.
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Translator: Karel Alexander Polakitan, Asri Mayang Sari
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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