JELI is being positioned as an extreme sports and adventure tourism destination on the East Coast through the inaugural Jeli Nature Mega Trail 1.0.
The event is scheduled to take place from July 3 to 5.
Kelantan tourism, culture, arts and heritage committee chairman Datuk Kamaruddin Md Noor told Bernama that the event would showcase the district’s terrain to off-road and motorsport enthusiasts from Malaysia and abroad.
He said Jeli had natural routes suited for extreme sports activities, including forest trails, logging roads, hilly terrain and challenging tracks.
“Jeli has a distinct advantage in terms of its landscape and terrain, making it highly suitable for off-road motorsport activities.
“This potential can be developed into a new tourism product capable of attracting more visitors and participants in the future,” he said.
The 180km route will cover Jeli and Gual Ipoh in Tanah Merah.
Kamaruddin said the route would test participants’ endurance and skills while highlighting the district’s nature-based tourism attractions.
Among the sites along the route are Gunung Reng, the Kampung Kalai Gold Tunnel, Sungai Rual Orang Asli settlement, Gua Setir and Kampung Air Naga.
Kamaruddin said exposing participants to these attractions would help raise Jeli’s profile as a venue for trail expeditions, motorised recreation and adventure tourism activities.
“The state government views such programmes not merely as sporting events, but as strategic platforms to build Jeli’s brand as an extreme sports destination with the potential to gain international recognition.
“If the response is encouraging, the programme could become an annual event and be included in the state’s tourism calendar,” he said.
Kamaruddin said the initiative was in line with state government’s efforts to diversify Kelantan’s tourism offerings.
He said it would also strengthen Kelantan’s position as a destination for travellers seeking nature-based experiences and adventure activities.
