KANGAR - The Kelantan government is targeting seven million local and foreign visitors to this state this year.
Principal assistant secretary of the Culture and Tourism Division, Kelantan State Government Secretary Office Nik Ahmad Shazwan Nik Mohamad said the target was made based on the increase in the number of tourists to the state post-COVID-19 pandemic.
"In 2021, the Kelantan government had set a target of six million tourists, but it could not be achieved due to the pandemic that hit the world at the time.
"Alhamdulillah, the number of tourist arrivals is (now) increasing and we are confident of attracting seven million tourists this year," he told Bernama at the Perlis-Kelantan Cross Cultural Festival, which is being held from May 30 to June 1 at the Dataran Dato' Sheikh Ahmad here.
Nik Ahmad Shazwan, who is also Kelantan Tourism Centre manager, said there were several new tourist attractions in Kelantan including the RM20 million Laman Warisan Kampung Laut, which was officially opened last year.
"The main attraction is the more than 400-year-old Masjid Kampung Laut which was relocated near to the original site after being temporarily moved to Nilam Puri, Kota Bharu 50 years ago," he said.
On the festival, Nik Ahmad Shazwan said Perlis was its third destination after Kuala Lumpur which took place last February and Langkawi in December last year.
"We chose Perlis because it is one of the states that receives a high tourist influx. The festival aims at introducing the culture of Kelantan to the people of Perlis and vice versa,” he added.
He said visitors to the festival would witness cultural performances of the state of Kelantan, including rebana ubi and wayang kulit. - BERNAMA