As the largest city in the region, Manado is an important tourist place for visitors. Ecotourism is the biggest attraction of Manado. Scuba diving and snorkelling on the island of Bunaken is also a popular attraction. Another interesting place is Lake Tondano, Mount Lokon, Mountain and Mount Mahawu Klabat.

Over the past two decades, tourism activities rapidly grew into one of the economic mainstay of the city. Belle tourism city of Manado North Sulawesi province and even the Bunaken National Park, which by some people referred to as one of the most beautiful marine park in the world. Bunaken Marine Park is one of a number of nature conservation areas or national parks in Indonesia. Bunaken Marine Park famous by the formation of extensive coral reefs and beautiful that is often used as dive sites by foreign tourists. Bunaken Island is one of the 5 islands spread a few miles from the coast of Manado City. Its location is only about 8 km from the mainland city of Manado, and can be completed in about a half to 2 hours, causing the National Park is easily visited.

Another tourist attraction that stands out in the city of Manado is Ban Hin Kiong temple in the City Center area that was built in the early 19th century and restored in 1970. This Shrine is located at Jalan Panjaitan. This pagoda consists of buildings are decorated with carvings dragon and flaming wooden stick. The best time to visit this temple is at the Lunar New Year, when Tionghoa dipertunjukkannya traditional dances. Also at the time of arrival of the traditional parade of Indonesians, Tai Pei Kong, who came from the 14th century. The event is the festival "Taoist" the largest annual held in Southeast Asia, which took travelers from Japan and other countries. Other tourist sites are also the State Museum of North Sulawesi, and Monument (Memorial) Second World War.

A monument which was inaugurated in late 2007 and became the new icon of Manado city is Jesus Blessing Monument. The building was erected on the hill in the housing Citraland Manado and has a height of 50 meters above the ground. Building initiated by Ir. Ciputra is a monument of Jesus Christ is the highest in Asia and the second in the world after Christ the Redeemer.

In addition to objects that attract tourism, one of the benefits of tourism, the city of Manado is the strategic location to tourist objects in the hinterland, especially in Minahasa, which can be reached within 1 to 3 hours from the city of Manado. Tourism objects are, among others, Vulcano Area in Tomohon, Village Agriwisata Rurukan-Tomohon, mountains and Lake Panorama Tondano, Stone Pinabetengan and Waruga in Sawangan.

Because of the huge tourism potential that the tourism industry in the city of Manado has been increasingly growing and developing, among others characterized by a number of hotels and other supporting facilities. Until the end of 2001, there were 67 pieces of hotel / lodging, travel agency 15 fruit, 223 fruit of restaurants and restaurants of various classes.

Therefore although quite unaffected by the economic crisis and the national situation less conducive, but tourism in the city of Manado continue. In 1998 the visit of foreign tourists is 34,509 people, to 11,538 people in 2000 and slightly increased in 2001 to 12,301 people. While tourists Nusantara in 1998 amounted to 432,993 people, then decreased to 279,014 people in 2000 and the last in 2001 slightly increased to 291,037 people.