5.7mil tourist target for Visit Kelantan year

KOTA BARU: Kelantan has set a 5.7 million tourist arrival target for Visit Kelantan Year 2008, about 700,000 more than last year.

Menteri Besar Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat said five million foreign and domestic tourists visited the state last year, spending about RM1.6 billion.

“I am confident of achieving this year’s target based on the keen interest among foreigners to see for themselves what is actually happening in Kelantan being administered under the Islamic system of governance,” he said when launching Visit Kelantan Year 2008.

To achieve the tourist target, Nik Aziz said the state tourism information centre would launch promotions in neighbouring countries such as in Singapore and as far as in the United Arab Emirates, Germany and the Netherlands.

To mark the launch, about 40 arts and cultural troupes paraded through the state capital watched by about 5,000 people including foreign tourists.
Various events have been lined up for the Visit Kelantan Year campaign, including an international-level go-kart championship, a kite competition with 25 countries participating and Asean Food Fair.

Other attractions in the state are top spinning, new version of shadow play, drum beats, batik industry, silverwares and Malay traditional declicacies.-NST Online 2008/02/09