KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysia’s Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry is intensifying efforts to draw more international visitors to Kelantan’s homestays through targeted digital marketing and familiarisation trips for social media influencers. Deputy Minister Chiew Choon Man said the initiatives, implemented through Tourism Malaysia, would showcase village life, local arts, heritage, culture and food to global audiences.
He made the remarks in Parliament while responding to concerns raised by Jeli MP Zahari Kechik over the low number of foreign guests staying in the state’s homestays. Chiew clarified that the reported figure of one foreign tourist referred only to May 2025, not the January-to-May period.
He acknowledged that further work was needed to increase international arrivals, while noting that domestic tourists remained a key market for Kelantan’s community-based tourism sector.
As of August, Kelantan had eight clusters under the Malaysia Homestay Experience Programme, comprising 141 registered operators and seven licensed Community-Based Host Tourist Guides. The programme recorded 11,358 tourist arrivals and RM526,783 in revenue in 2025, while the first eight months of 2026 saw 7,208 arrivals and RM376,451 in revenue.
Chiew cited Homestay Jelawang in Kuala Krai, near Gunung Stong, as a leading example of successful rural tourism. It earned more than RM300,000 in 2025, the highest among Kelantan homestays, and received 8,704 tourist arrivals.
The ministry is also working with the Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Ministry and the Malaysia Co-operative Societies Commission to encourage operators to join cooperatives, strengthen their businesses and access support grants. Collaboration with the Agriculture and Food Security Ministry will introduce agro-tourism programmes to help homestay operators diversify income.
Chiew said coordinated action among ministries, state governments, local authorities and industry players was essential to strengthen community-based tourism and expand economic opportunities for rural communities.