Kelantan Targets 12 Mln Visitors For 2026

KOTA BHARU, Jan 1 (Bernama) -- Kelantan has set a target of attracting 12 million domestic and international tourists this year, announced State Tourism, Culture, Arts, and Heritage Committee chairman Datuk Kamarudin Md Noor.

He described the target as realistic, citing last year’s visitor count of approximately 11 million, of which almost 90 per cent were domestic tourists.

The state will focus on improving accessibility by expanding its major points of entry, including those at Kota Bharu, Thailand, Gua Musang, and Pasir Puteh, to attract a greater number of international visitors.

“We have planned 52 programmes for this year, compared to 41 last year, and will continue with successful existing initiatives,” he told reporters after officiating a state-level programme for Visit Malaysia Year 2026 at Sultan Ismail Petra Airport today.

Kamarudin added that the state also plans to raise its international profile by inviting overseas tourism industry representatives to visit and promote its attractions. This would help shift its image from a mere transit stop to the Perhentian Islands to a destination worthy of a longer stay.

He also announced the launch of a new boat service to the Perhentian Islands from Tok Bali, set to begin in March. Previously, access was only available via Kuala Besut.

-- BERNAMA