PUTRAJAYA, Jan. 28 -- The Tourism Ministry expressed confidence today that it could meet this year's tourist arrival target, even as China restricts traveling to contain a novel coronavirus from spreading.

Tourism Minister Datuk Mohammadin Ketapi, however, said there is a probability that the outbreak could drive the numbers down, but insisted it would be marginal.

China has over the years become a key tourism market for Malaysia. Its tourists were the third largest in foreign tourist arrival into the country last year and account for a third in tourism money receipt, official statistics showed.

"We won't revise the target it's still 30 million," he told a press conference here.

"The impact (from the outbreak) is small and that is jus...