M'SIAN STATE NEEDS BETTER INFRASTRUCTURE TO ATTRACT TOURISTS

By Mahanum Abdul Aziz

KUALA LUMPUR, March 23 (Bernama) -- The Kelantan Action Tourism Council hoped the government can improve infrastructure facilities, including expanding the Sultan Ismail Petra airport in Pengkalan Chepa, to attract more foreign tourists to the state.

Its event chairman Ismail Awang said the number of foreign tourists visiting
the state was currently small because of the long journey by road.

"For example, the foreign tourists coming from Kuala Lumpur need to take
about eight hours to reach Kelantan by road," he told Bernama recently.

Ismail said that currently, about 10 percent of the tourists entering the
state were foreigners.

Many of these foreign tourists comprised residents in southern Thailand, he
said.

As part of its efforts to attract foreign tourists, the council is
organising the Kelantanese food and culture promotion at the Grand Continental
Hotel here from March 18 to 28.

Ismail said that RM50,000 has been allocated for the event which featured
about 50 Kelantanese dishes prepared by two chefs specially brought from
Kelantan.

He said that cultural dances would also be presented during the event.

Kelantan is a east coast state in Peninsular Malaysia.

-- BERNAMA