THE ball goes on rolling in Kuala Terengganu and is not expected to stop until Visit Terengganu Year 2008 comes knocking on the door next year.
The latest State tourism promotion, held in the first two weeks of July, was the “Terengganu Carnival” at Batu Buruk in Kuala Terengganu. It ran simultaneously with Berita Harian’s GP Joran fishing competition 2007 held in Marang and Kuala Terengganu.

The two-week carnival attracted over 240,000 people while the fishing event had more than 2,000 anglers taking part.

Stalls were set up by tourism bodies, government agencies and individuals to promote tourism-related attractions. Food and drinks stalls did a roaring business.

In the evenings, local entertainers including Farawahida, Heliza and Noni of Akademi Fantasia 5, performed for the audience who thronged the Batu Buruk area.

“Besides promoting Visit Terengganu Year 2008, the carnival created opportunities for us to hold tourism-related activities and to make sure that all our hotels were full,” said Terengganu Industrial and Tourism Development Committee chairman Datuk Mohamed Awang Tera.

He said hotel occupancy rate has increased to more than 61 per cent from last year’s 53.9 per cent. The State government has also injected more than RM19 million for new products development as well as for maintenance and upgrading of existing tourist attractions and facilities in the State.