GUA MUSANG: Almost 700,000 visitors have so far visited the state as part of Visit Kelantan Year 2024, says an exco member.
State tourism, culture, arts and heritage committee chairman Datuk Kamarudin Md Nor said the figure has contributed to the Kelantan government’s target of hosting two million tourists annually, including both foreign and local visitors.
“Most foreign tourists enter Kelantan through border entry points with Thailand, such as Rantau Panjang, Pengkalan Kubor and Bukit Bunga as there are no direct international flights,” he said.
He said this during the Night Walk with Tengku Mahkota of Kelantan at the Gua Musang district level at Dataran Kesedar on Saturday evening.
“Most visitors come to Kelantan through Rantau Panjang, and we have noticed a significant increase in the number of visitors through the border entry points with Thailand,” he said, Bernama reported.
Kamarudin also said that the rise in duty-free goods at the state border has contributed to the influx of tourists.
“Based on checks at duty-free shops in Pengkalan Kubor and Rantau Panjang, there is a greater variety of duty-free items compared with three or four years ago.
“Visitors have provided positive feedback about their shopping experiences at these duty-free shops,” he said, adding that ongoing efforts to promote Kelantan involve collaboration with foreign agencies.
Earlier, Tengku Mahkota Tengku Muhammad Fakhry Petra attended the Night Walk programme and also contributed to the Palestine aid fund.
