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Introduction

Mohd Sabili, the manager of Kelantan Tourism Information Centre (TIC), was accountable to

deliberate the best strategies and increase the profile of Kelantan as a tourism destination, as well as

to empower the image of Kelantan as “The Cradle of Malay Culture.” The other important tasks for

him are to gather the related information and working with various level of stakeholders, including

residents, business organizations, media, visitors, and so on. Besides that, he also needs to keep

update with any changes of tourist activities and events, as well as preparing the reports for senior

management and attending meetings with variety of people including the stakeholders either locally

or internationally. As such, within his supervision, Mohd Sabili has to ensure that the reputation and the

positive image of the Kelantan Tourism Information Centre as local tourism authority are well

maintained. Consequently, he is responsible for carrying the positive reputation of TIC into the next

level.

Notably, there are more than 40 events (including sports event, local cultural festivals, food events,

exhibition and entertainment events), ranging from local and international levels have been planned

annually in Kelantan. Among all, the most prestigious signature event that became a trademark for

Kelantan is The Kelantan International Wau Festival, which has been sustained and successfully

hosted by TIC since 1982. Wau is a term to describe the Malaysia’s traditional giant kite.

Notwithstanding, throughout maintaining Kelantan International Wau Festival, many challenges have

been faced by TIC and as the key person, Mohd Sabili has to ensure that the achievement of

Kelantan International Wau Festival successfully prevailed the previous one.

In other words, Mohd Sabili and his team has to gather as much information as possible regarding the

tourism development in Kelantan, especially on the potential of Kelantan International Wau Festival

in boosting tourism in Kelantan. Therefore, this case study is very significant in aiding TICteam to

produce and sustain the success of Kelantan International Wau Festival.

Tourism in Kelantan

Kelantan is one of the fourteen states in Malaysia, situated at the northeast of peninsular Malaysia,

and is very rich with Malay traditional arts and culture. Hence, Kelantan has been labeled as “The

Cradle of Malay Culture,” whereby most traditional Malay culture could be found in that state. The

uniqueness and richness of culture have contributed significantly to Kelantan tourism sector, and it

turned tourism as the second most crucial money-spinner for Kelantan besides agricultural sector (see

picture 1: Map of Kelantan Tourism).

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Picture 1 : Map of Kelantan Tourism

Source: http://leechsock.com/MAP/Kelantan.htm

Specifically, the main reason for tourist to visit Kelantan is for ethnic foods such as the famous Budu,

Nasi Kerabu, Nasi Dagang, Laksam, Akok, and many more. In addition, the traditional culture

performances like Dikir Barat, Menora, Main Puteri, Mak Yong, and Wayang Kulit also successfully

drawn tourist attention to this state. The making of traditional handicraft such as Batik painting and

handmade Rattan furniture has also gained sudience among Kelantan’s tourists. Furthermore, the

traditional Malay games that made Kelantan unique compared to other states in Malaysia such as

Gasing, percussion instrument such as Gendang and Rebana, , and the most important Wau, are

among the factors that stimulate the ideas of hosting cultural event such as The Kelantan

International Wau Festival.

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Table 1 : Among the foods, local arts, culture and handicraft in Kelantan

Category Picture

Local food

Picture 2 : Budu

Source: https://www.vitdaily.com/5-sebab-budu-jadi-

kebanggaan-orang-pantai-timur/

Picture 3 : Nasi kerabu

Sources :

https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/bahasa/20

19/04/23/makan-nasi-kerabu-mampu-sembuhkan-

penyakit/

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Picture 4 : Nasi Dagang

Source: https://sintoknews.com/nasi-dagang/

Picture 5 : Laksam

Source: http://dewimalaysia.com/resepi-buat-mi-dan-

kuah-laksam-sedap-dan-mudah/

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Picture 6 : Akok

Source: http://kelateori.blogspot.com/2010/12/makanan-

kuih-akok.html

Art

performance

Picture 7 : Mak Yong

Source:

https://sejarahkelantan.wordpress.com/2012/09/14/seni-

budaya-kelantan-mak-yong/

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Picture 8 : Wayang Kulit

Source: https://cilisos.my/who-is-this-guy-who-revived-

traditional-arts-banned-by-pas-in-kelantan/

Picture 9: Main Puteri

Source:

https://www.hmetro.com.my/nuansa/2018/01/306548/mai

n-puteri

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Picture 10: Menora

Source:

https://www.facebook.com/155905344561269/photos/men

ora-khek-kelantankredit-gambar-dallah-deen-mohd-zain-

/995851207233341/

Picture 11 : Dikir Barat

Source: https://says.com/my/seismik/kumpulan-koir-di-

kanada-melakukan-dikir-barat-membuat-rakyat-malaysia-

terpegun

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Traditional

games

Picture 12 : Gendang

Source:

https://acegames4usdotorg.wordpress.com/2014/07/10/re

bana-ubi/

Picture 13 : Gasing

Source: malaysiansinnewzealand.wordpress.com

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Picture 14 : Songbird Competition

Source: http://www.heritagemalaysia.my/Klt-

LubokJong.html

Handicraft

Picture 15 : Wau Making

Source: https://www.dreamstime.com/making-wau-bulan-

kota-bharu-kelantan-malaysia-wau-bulan-image148195106

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Picture 16 : Batik making

Source: https://docgelo.com/2011/05/13/kota-bharu-

kelantan-series-batik-making/

Picture 17 : Rattan Furniture Making

Sources: https://encyclocraftsapr.com/basketry-and-

plaiting-malay/

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Distinctive criteria of Kelantan International Wau Festival a tourism product

Kelantan International Wau Festival is a state event that is hosted annually by Kelantan Tourism

Information Centre (TIC), in collaboration with the Tumpat District Council, Kelantan Kites Association,

and Malaysia Kites Council, with the support from various government departments, agencies, and

private sector. Table 2 summarises the necessary information about Kelantan International Wau

Festival.

Table 2 Background information of Kelantan International Wau Festival

Event name Kelantan International Wau Festival or Kelantan International kite

Festival

Date An annual event since 1982 – 2018 (within may to August every year)

Venue Getting Beach, Tumpat

Types of

event

Local cultural festival

Objectives To sustain kites as Malay traditional games, so that it will not be

forgotten by the future generation

To provide knowledge/experience about kite to the attendees

To nurture creativity in kite making activities

To promote Geting beach as one of tourism destination in Kelantan

To provide income for kite makers, as social and knowledge sharing

gathering among kite lovers from the region

Reintroduce traditional pastime to youths

The Kelantan International Wau Festival is very distinct compared to other types of cultural event. For

example, the display of various shapes, sizes, and colours of modern giant kites in the skies made the

event unique, and definitely aiding to sustain the longevity of the festival (Pictures below show some

of the modern kites that have been displayed during the event).

Picture 18 : Various types of kites showcased

Source: http://mohdzawi.blogspot.com/2012/06/kelantan-international-kite-festival.html

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Picture 19 : Various types of kites showcased

Source: http://mohdzawi.blogspot.com/2012/06/kelantan-international-kite-festival.html

Picture 20 : Various types of kites showcased

Source : http://blog.weelingraphy.com/2013/06/kelantan-31st-international-kite.html

Other than the modern standards of kites, the highlight of The Kelantan International Wau Festival is

the showcase of Malaysia’s traditional giant kite (or in Malay, it is known as “wau”), which

impressively attracted international and local participation from all around the world.

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Picture 21 : Traditional kites - Wau Bulan

Source: http://www.mrjocko.com/2015/05/pesta-wau-antarabangsa-ke-33-negeri-kelantan-

2015.html

Picture 22 : Various types of kite showcased

Sources : http://picdeer.com/tag/festivalwaukelantan

In addition to the above points, the various program itinerary that captures all level of attendees also

makes Kelantan International Wau Festival as distinctive. Table 3 shows the detail of programs that

have been planned by the Kelantan International Wau Festival organization team every year. The

variety of event programs, which specially designed to tackle the various level of attendees, has

been observed as the strength for this festival. Conceptually, the nature of the programs organized

during the Kelantan International Wau Festival could satisfy all level of attendees. Mohd Sabili’s role

as the event manager was responsible to creatively design and plan the event programs so that it

can fulfill various demand of their event attendees. Based on previous record, a creative design of

the event program could attract more tourist and sustain the attractiveness of the Kelantan

International Wau Festival.

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Table 3 : Details of Kelantan International Wau Festival

Year /

Date

Participation Additional information related to

Kelantan International Wau Festival

1982-2010

(1-28th )

Information not available Information not available

3-6 June

2011(29th )

Information not available Information not available

5 - 9 Jun

2012 (30th)

48 contestants consisted

of 18 countries (USA, New

Zealand, Thailand,

Germany, Switzerland,

Brunei, Singapore,

Indonesia, Vietnam,

Cambodia, India, Austria,

the Philippines, Japan,

China, Macau, Korea,

and Nepal)

National participation

involves 168 participants

from around the state

Over 60 participations

from Institute of Higher

Education

Glowing Kite competition

Dikir Barat competition

One day trip to Pulau Suri, Pasar Siti

Khadijah, Bazar Buluh Kubu, Arked

Songket & Batik, Pantai Cahaya

Bulan, Gelanggang Seni dan Wakaf

Che Yeh (to promote local tourism

products for international tourists)

International tourist were also

exposed to other traditional cultural

performances like Persembahan

Wayang Kulit, Seni Permainan

Gasing, Tarian Tradisional as well as

Dikir Barat

29 May- 1

June 2013

(31st)

47 participants, ranging

from 18 countries,

namely, Cambodia,

Australia, China, India,

Indonesia, Brunei,

Thailand, the Philippines,

Sweden, Singapore, New

Zealand, USA, France,

Nepal, Belgium,

Germany, Japan, and

Italy

National participation

involving 166 participants

from all states except for

Sabah

More than 60 school

students participated

Total of 23 categories

were contested

Glowing Kite competition

3D kite competition for students from

Institute of Higher Education

Traditional Wau Bulan competition for

secondary schools In Kelantan

Colouring competition for primary

schools (standard 1-3)

Colouring competition for primary

schools (standard 4 – 5)

Exclusive visit to handicraft and

cultural enterprises

International delegates visit local

eco-tourism product (Taman Rekreasi

Gua Ikan, Gua Keris, Gua Gelap,

Gua Pagar, Jelawang waterfalls in

Gunung Stong & Tasik Pergau in Jeli).

28 May- 31

May 2014

(32nd)

Thirty-three participants

comprising of 16

countries, namely

Australia, Brunei, Belgium,

China, Indonesia, Italy,

Germany, Cambodia,

International Dikir Barat competition

(Kelantan versus Singapore)

Glowing Kite competition

International delegates visit to Pantai

Bisikan Bayu, Pasir Puteh

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U.S.A., Nepal, New

Zealand, Philippines,

Sweden, USA, Thailand,

and England.

More than 120 national

participation

26 May -30

May 2015

(33rd )

Forty-five participants

consist of 20 countries,

namely, Australia, Austria,

Brunei, Cambodia, China,

Germany, Indonesia,

Italy, Japan, U.S.A.,

Nepal, New Zealand, the

Philippines, Singapore,

Sweden, Switzerland,

Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine,

and the USA.

More than 120 national

participants

“Dikir Barat Wau Bule Selamat

Sokmo” competition

Glowing Kite competition

International Kites Special

Presentation at Sudara Beach

Resort, Bachok

2- 4 Jun

2016 (34th )

31 participants comprising

of 13 countries, namely,

Australia, Brunei,

Cambodia, China,

Germany, Indonesia,

Curacao, New Zealand,

Singapore, Sweden,

Thailand, Ukraine, and the

USA

More than 120 national

participants

Glowing Kite competition

24-26

August

2017 (35th )

8 countries participated

200 national participation

Information not available

2 – 4

August

2018 (36th )

37 international

participants, from 12

countries participated

30 external participants

Total participants: 250

people

Glowing Kitecompetition

More than 20 sub-events were

planned (i.e., Wau Kucing Tradisi

Naik)

Wau Tradisi decoration

competition

“Layang-layang Rokakku”

decoration competition

Kite-making competition

Bazaars selling local food

products and crafts were set up for

visitors to experience the local flavor

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Picture 23 : Glowing Kite competition

Sources: https://www.malaysianreview.com/58039/pertandingan-wau-bercahaya-antarabangsa-

kelantan-gambar/

Roles of Kelantan International Wau Festival in developing tourism in Kelantan

Any event, product or services offered at tourist destinationshould be able to satisfy the tourist needs,

as it is the objects that are exchanged between tourist and the tourism providers. The satisfaction

from the total travel experience has a major effect on the longevity of the tourism destination.

Kelantan International Wau Festival as one of tourist event in Kelantan is regarded as the right

product, as it fulfills the criteria of a satisfying tourism product. Other than the distinctive criteria of this

event as mentioned in the earlier section, for the sake of developing tourism in Kelantan, Kelantan

International Wau Festival has a major role in Kelantan’s tourism industry. Following are the roles of

Kelantan International Wau Festival in developing and maintaining the performances of Kelantan as

a tourism destination.

Kelantan International Wau Festival as an attraction - Since the organization of Kelantan International

Wau Festival in 1982, it has proven that it has increased the number of tourists’ visit to Kelantan. The

Kelantan International Wau Festival provide an opportunity for local and international visitors to get

to know about the traditional Malaysian kite. Other than multiple varieties of traditional kites, the

Kelantan International Wau Festival also offer variety of activities and programs that can manage to

capture the interest of all visitors. The program arranged for this event are specially designed to be

suitable for all ages, henceattracting attendees to come.

Kelantan International Wau Festival as an animator- Kelantan International Wau Festival is a unique

event with a content and program that help to tangibalise the image of Kelantan as a Malay cultural

hub. The effort to tangibalise the image started from the earlier stage of the festival organization. For

example, the use of traditional drums and wau images in the event brochure portrays the cultural

identity of Kelantan (Refer picture 24, showing the event brochure to get the idea about how

Kelantan International Wau Festival has tangibalise the image of Kelantan as Malay cultural hub).

The program designed during the festival also allows the organizer to show the way of life of the

Kelantanese. Moreover, the venue of Kelantan International Wau Festival, which is held at Geting

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Beach gave added value to the events whereby the destination became alive with sensory

stimulation and an appealing atmosphere, showcasing the colourful and vibrant lives of the

Kelantanese.

Picture 24 : Kelantan International Wau Festival event brochure

Sources: https://www.facebook.com/pg/Stz-Rumah-Tamu-Di-Kelantan-446929358745716/posts/

Picture 25 : Kelantan International Wau Festival event brochure

Sources: https://www.facebook.com/pg/KioskBoboiboyKelantan/posts/

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Kelantan International Wau Festival as a tool for destination branding- Morrison and Anderson (2002,

p. 17) define destination branding as “the process used to develop a unique identity and personality

that is different from other competitive destinations.” Concerning this, Kelantan that is well-known as

“The cradle of Malay Culture,” is being branded as the Malay Culture Hub through the the annual

organization of Kelantan International Wau Festival

Kelantan International Wau Festival as a catalyst- The organization of event like The Kelantan

International Wau Festival requires lots of planning and preparation. Other than preparing the

proposal and budgeting, the upgrading of facilities and amenities at the event venue to achieve the

event standard is also crucial. The landscape of the event venue needs to be improved to

tangibalise the event concept. Hence, these requirements have become a catalyst to the

development and upgrading of the event area. Other than that, Kelantan International Wau Festival

also become a catalyst for local business development whereby residents have the opportunity to

sell local products, food, and beverages, and so on.

Challenges in sustaining Kelantan International Wau Festival

Sustainability refers to the longevity and continuation of the event program itself, as well as

maintaining the direct and indirect impacts of events. Its all about the durability of the Kelantan

International Wau Festival as a tourist attraction. The existing of Kelantan International Wau Festival

since 37 years ago is something that Kelantanese especially TIC could be proud of. Getting support

from the resident is a challenge for Mohd Sabili. Luckily, in this case, the community in the

surroundingarea of Geting Beach react to the organization of the Kelantan International Wau Festival

positively. Kelantan International Wau Festival is one of the event that provided chances to promote

the traditional wau as part of traditional Malay games. In additon, it also reminds the local about

their childhood time and help them to reminisce the excitement and strive to preserve this event as

part of their cultural identity. The organization of Kelantan International Wau Festival is also a platform

for Tourism Information Center to showcase other Kelantan traditional arts and culture such as Dikir

Barat, Mak Yong, local handicraft and many others. Overall, the organization of this event has

successfully made it an ambassor to represent the Malay culture and identity in Malaysia and the

program was able to provide collective memory to all attendee and thus making this festival

sustained. It is one of the events that is a highlight and most waited for by the Kelantan residents.

These factors helps shape the formation of resident support towards The Kelantan Internation Wau

Festival.

In another context, it is a challenge for Mohd Sabili to fully utilize the available resources. The

optimum use of the resources will provide chances to the organizer to enrich the event program. In

this case, resources is referred to the existing image of Kelantan as an origin for various Malay

traditional arts and culture. Other than the status as Malay cultural hub, the different cultures

performances (such as Mak Yong, Mian Puteri, Wayang Kulit, Menora); traditional games (such as

Gasing Top spinning, drum, songbird competition), as well as handicraft resources (such as rattan

handmade product, batik and other types of handicraft), provide attractive power to Kelantan as

tourism destination. Most importantly, the major highlight of the Kelantan International Wau Festival,

which is thedisplay of skills in traditional kite making and kite decoration also helps the organizer to

expressed the event concept.

Conclusion

In summary, the information gathered from Mohd Sabili and the TIC team are sufficient in producing

a better perspective of The Kelantan International Wau Festival event organization. This information

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will enhance the reputation and significant role of TIC as the local authority responsible for the

development of Kelantan’s tourism industry.