Benefiting from the rapid growth of Guangzhou's economy, more and more local residents get rich and choose to travel abroad. To cater to the new surge of travelers, several direct international flights were added this year to the city's some 30 existent routes to foreign destinations on five continents. 

Guangzhou-Koh Samui, Thailand 

The flight, opened on January 21, departs from Guangzhou at 4:30 a.m. and flies back to Guangzhou at 9:40 p.m. Koh Samui, the third-largest island in Thailand, is famous for its long, clean beaches. It still retains its original flavor due to inadequate development.   

Guangzhou-Da Nang, Vietnam 

This flight began on January 24 and takes less than two hours to reach Ða Nang, the fourth-largest city in Vietnam. Famous tourist spots in or near the city include Son Tra Peninsula, well-known for its vast primary forests and rare animals, as well as Hoi'an, home to small local boutiques, artwork shops, bars and well-preserved Chinese and Japanese architecture. Vietnam provides a visa-on-arrival service to Chinese. All you need are your passport and two color photos with white background.   

Guangzhou-Reunion Island

The first direct flight of China to Reunion Island, which opened on February 12, is conducted twice a week aboard an Airbus A340-300. As an overseas territory of France, Reunion Island is a relatively new tourist destination in the South Indian Ocean. Activities include hiking on a volcano, exploring in a lava tunnel and observing whales and dolphins. The Reunion Island Tourism Board has unveiled a 15-day one-time conditional visa-free policy to Chinese tourists.   

Guangzhou-Vancouver-Mexico  

This flight, to open on April 10, will fly every Monday, Thursday and Saturday. It is cheaper than the previous Guangzhou-Los Angeles-Mexico City flight, according to China Southern Airlines. Besides, tourists with Canadian visas can also enter Mexico. (By Chris Wang, Louis Berney)

Source: Lifeofguangzhou.com