KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 15 — Tourist arrivals from China and Taiwan fell 12 per cent and 3 per cent respectively in the period of January to July compared with the corresponding period last year, dented by the disappearance of Beijing bound Flight MH370 and the Lahad Datu intrusion, a minister said today.

Tourism and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Aziz, however, noted an increase of about 11 per cent in total foreign tourist arrivals in the period of January to June this year.

“The flight incident did not hamper the country’s tourism sector,” Nazri told Parliament during question time today.

He noted that 13.87 million foreign tourists had visited Malaysia in the first half this year and expressed confidence that the ministry would achieve its target of 28 million tourists.

Two-thirds of the passengers on board Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 were China nationals.