Your Inbound Matters founder Uzaidi Udanis said the Kelantan government should look into other tourism products to boost the sector instead.

“I hope the state government, especially the executive councillors, broaden their horizon. There’s a lot in Kelantan that they can capitalise on,” Uzaidi told FMT.

He was responding to Kelantan tourism committee chairman Kamaruddin Nor’s statement on Saturday that marriages involving Kelantanese folk and their partners from other states were among the key factors driving the influx of tourists to Kelantan.

Kamaruddin said such family connections had led to significant two-way travel, especially during the school holidays, which had a positive impact on the accommodation sector, with hotels and homestays recording higher bookings which spurred the local economy.

But Uzaidi said such remarks did little to highlight the state’s potential.

“Kelantan has a huge airport, yet many decide to visit the Perhentian islands via Besut in Terengganu because there are no new attractions in Kota Bharu,” he said, referring to the state’s capital.

Besut is located near the Kelantan border.

He said Kelantan should emulate Perlis, which was once a gateway to Thailand but has since evolved into a “must visit” destination after it developed its tourism products.

He said the time has come for Kelantan to invest in its culture and in creative events such as wayang kulit (shadow play), “dikir barat”, and rice festival.

“Kelantan has everything, from food and culture to natural attractions and hundreds of caves. So, it’s odd that they highlight interstate marriages,” he said.