GUA MUSANG: Almost 700,000 visitors have been recorded in Kelantan as part of Visit Kelantan Year 2024 as of Saturday (June 29), says Datuk Kamarudin Md Nor.

The state tourism, culture, arts, and heritage committee chairman said this figure contributes toward the Kelantan government’s target of hosting 2 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 explained.

He said this during the Night Walk with Tengku Mahkota of Kelantan for the Gua Musang district at Dataran Kesedar on Saturday night.

“Most visitors come to Kelantan through Rantau Panjang, and we have noticed a significant increase in visitors through these border entry points with Thailand,” he said.

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 was 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 of Kelantan Tengku Muhammad Fakhry Petra attended the Night Walk programme and contributed to the Palestine aid fund. – Bernama