KOTA BARU: Kelantan will step up its tourism strategy and promotions following the Federal government's decision on the 30-day visa-free travel for travellers from China and India.
Welcoming the move, state Tourism, Culture, Arts and Heritage Committee chairman Datuk Kamarudin Md Nor said Kelantan would grab the opportunity by carrying out various promotion to attract visitors especially those from China.
"Based on the number of tourists records in the previous year, about 20 per cent of those who visit Kelantan were from China.
"As the state will organised Visit Kelantan Year 2024, the decision for the 30-day visa-free travel for visitors from China and India are really needed.
"Travellers from China should not worry when visiting the state in term of facilities and food as we have already made the necessary preparation to welcome them," he said.
Kamarudin, who is Ayer Lanas assemblyman, told reporters this after the State Assembly sitting here today.
Although Kelantan has few Chinese community, he said their presence was enough to assist the state government in attracting the travellers.
"We have few Chinese restaurants who serve foods originally from China," he added.
Yesterday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in his winding up speech at the PKR National Congress, said travellers from China and India can enjoy 30-day visa-free travel to Malaysia starting Dec 1.
He said this was to increase tourism potential from those countries into the country.
He added Malaysia already have the visa-free facility to gulf countries such as Saudi Arabia, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait, Iraq, Iran, as well as West Asian countries Turkiye and Jordan.
He said the travel visa-free exemption for travellers from China and India for 30 days, however, was subject to security screening which will be done for all visitors into the country.
"Those with criminal records or pose risk of violence will not be allowed to enter. Details of this facility willl be announced by Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail soon," Anwar said.
He said the highest number of tourists into Malaysia in the Asean region were from Singapore and Indonesia, but the highest outside of this region was from China.
Anwar, who is also PKR president, said China had recently allowed visa-free travel for Malaysians entering the country for 15 days.