SHANGHAI – Garuda Indonesia, the largest airline in Indonesia, has joined Ctrip, China’s largest online travel service provider, to launch a new package tours in Shanghai.

Local insiders said this is the first attempt an overseas airline has made to co-establish a travel brand with a local travel service provider in China.

In addition to partnering with China Eastern Airlines to promote the direct flight from China to Hawaii in the United States, Ctrip will work with Garuda Indonesia to set up Garuda Orient Holidays (GOH) brand in China. “The move is part of Ctrip’s strategy to nourish closer cooperation with airlines and ensure its leading position in the China market,” said Fan Min, chief executive officer of Ctrip.

GOH is a holiday project launched by PT. Aerowisata, a subsidiary of Garuda Indonesia, as the airline’s in-house package wholesaler specializing in producing holiday packages to Indonesia. It will be targeting premium market segments and specific groups who have special interests in adventure, diving and eco-tourism, according to Garuda Indonesia.

After expanding its operations in Australia, New Zealand, Korea, Japan, Europe and Hong Kong, GOH is now entering the Mainland China market, said Emirsyah Satar, president and chief executive officer of Garuda Indonesia.

China is one of the most important sources of the travel market for Indonesia and travelers from China have increased rapidly in the past years. “It will definitely have a bright future,” said Satar.

He said about 500,000 Chinese tourists visited Indonesia last year, placing Bali as their most popular destination, and about half of the mainland travelers chose to fly with Garuda Indonesia to Indonesia.

The two partners believe it will be a win-win partnership that will contribute to growing the tourism industry and providing more travel options to ordinary travelers in China, said Fan.

He said GOH will be the brand name that both parties will promote extensively in China through the Ctrip network and its travel trade agents.

The major products of GOH at the current stage are a variety of FIT (Foreign Independent Tourist) packages to Bali, which will be offered to potential tourists in Shanghai, Beijing and Guangzhou, Satar said.

GOH has also put forth a plan to establish offices in Shanghai, Beijing and Guangzhou with a target of more than 3,000 Chinese tourists to Indonesia every month, he said.

Fan said GOH will make the FIT packages available online, where people will find a lot of information about flight schedules, high quality hotels and tours especially designed for the China market.

“Customers can personally choose their own travel itineraries and plan their trip more cost-effectively,” he said.