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Download The disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 has led to a decline in the number of Chinese tourists to Malaysia during the May Day holiday, the China National Tourism Administration said. Many travel agencies have changed the once popular "Singapore-Malaysia-Thailand itinerary to a “Singapore-Vietnam-Thailand" one due to the negative impression of the Southeast Asian country from the Flight MH370 incident, the administration said. It did not provide figures or further details but said many travel companies have also canceled group trips to Malaysia. Flight MH370 vanished on March 8 en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. The Boeing 777 had 239 people on board, including 154 Chinese passengers. A multinational search for the plane in the southern Indian Ocean has found no trace of the aircraft. Members of the Chinese public and families of passengers on MH370 have criticized Malaysian authorities’ handling of the incident, citing a lack of information and initial delays in providing it, among other issues. Yang Jinsong, a China Tourism Academy professor, said the slowdown in Chinese travel will seriously hurt Malaysia's tourism industry and may continue for years. "Chinese are one of the major groups of tourists for the country, and the negative impression will have serious consequences," he said. Restoring Malaysia's image will take a long time, Yang said. | 
