Chinese tourists shun Malaysia after MH370 tragedy

The number of Chinese tourists going to Malaysia, formerly a popular holiday destination, has plunged during the three-day May Day holiday due to the MH370 incident, China National Tourism Administration said. [Special coverage]

The previously fast-selling Singapore-Malaysia-Thailand tour package was also affected after the disappearance of the Malaysia Airlines flight, China News Service reported.

Despite substantial discounts on the tour package, very few Chinese tourists were willing to travel to Malaysia. Some Chinese travel agencies have replaced the country in the package with Vietnam.

MH370 was a scheduled Malaysia Airlines flight missing en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing with 239 people (including 154 Chinese) on board on March 8, 2014. Despite an unprecedented multinational search, the plane remains missing.

China saw a travel peak during the three day holiday from May 1 to May 3 this weekend. Regions and countries close to the Chinese mainland, such as Taiwan, Hong Kong, South Korea, Indonesia, Japan, Vietnam and Cambodia, were favorite overseas destinations for Chinese tourists.