Terengganu: Terengganu recorded 2.45 million domestic and international tourist arrivals in the first quarter of this year.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, State Tourism, Culture, Environment, and Climate Change Committee chairman Datuk Razali Idris said the figure showed a significant increase from the 2.03 million tourists during the same period last year. He said this resulted in revenue generation of between RM700 million and RM900 million, contributed by the hospitality, homestay, and food industries, among others.

"The influx of tourists to Terengganu largely involves middle-income travellers who enter via land routes... rather than high-profile tourists," he stated. "Our target for this year is nine million tourists. Looking at the first-quarter results and last year's performance, we are confident we will achieve this through the programmes scheduled in the Terengganu tourism calendar," Razali added at the launch of the Terengganu Squid Jigging Carnival 2026 at Pulau Kekabu today.

The event was also attended by Terengganu State Tourism Director, Datuk Tengku Mohd Ariffin Tengku A. Rahman, and Marang District Officer, Zulkifly Isa. The four-day carnival features musical and cultural performances, water sports competitions, craft demonstrations, cooking competitions, and tourism quizzes.

Razali further mentioned that over 40,000 visitors are expected to flock to Terengganu during the squid jigging season, which runs from April to August. "In Terengganu, about 3,000 boat owners offer rentals for jigging activities. These boats began receiving bookings as early as last year and remain consistently fully booked," he said.