Livestock disease's effects on tourism

Livestock disease'seffects on tourism
The outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in England may have an impact on some visitors this spring. Though not a threat to humans -- the airborne disease affects cloven-hoofed animals -- there is concern about its spreading beyond the British farms where it has appeared. That could lead to some hiking tours' being curtailed, some rural events' being canceled, and some disinfecting procedures for vehicles and people. Roadblocks have been set up for disinfecting vehicles leaving parts of the country where the disease has been detected, according to the trade publication Travel Weekly.
Panama City Beachtops Spring Break list
PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla. (AP) -- The Travel Channel has named this Florida Panhandle resort city tops in its listing of the World's Best Spring Break Hangouts, followed by Cancun, Mexico, and Lake Havasu, Ariz.
Panama City Beach was cited in a recent program on the Top 10 Spring Break destinations for its 27 miles of sugar-white beaches and variety of entertainment.
"We have always been aware of how beautiful our beaches are and how much our destination has to offer, but it's nice to be acclaimed by others," said Bob Warren, president of the Panama City Beach Convention & amp; Visitors Bureau.
Panama City Beach and other domestic hot spots, however, have been getting increasing Spring Break competition from foreign destinations. It showed on the Travel Channel's list, which includes five foreign sites, three of them in Mexico. Florida, with three destinations, had more than any other state.
The complete list: 1. Panama City Beach; 2. Cancun, Mexico; 3. Lake Havasu, Ariz.; 4. South Padre Island, Texas; 5. Jamaica; 6. Mazatlan, Mexico; 7. Daytona Beach, Fla.; 8. Key West, Fla.; 9. Rosarito Beach-Ensenada, Mexico; 10. Bahamas.
Colo. ski resorts lookto have good season
DENVER (AP) -- Colorado's ski industry is within a few snowflakes of its 1997-98 record after two poor seasons. Skier and snowboarder numbers were up 11 percent through Feb. 28 and within .01 percent of the record.
"These numbers continue to indicate that Colorado has returned to normal business levels and we are very optimistic about the rest of the season," said David Perry, president of Colorado Ski Country USA.
Vail Resorts has been the big winner in the nation's No. 1 ski state. The company reported a 47 percent increase in net income in the second quarter, mostly because of increased skier visits at its four resorts.
The Vail Valley Tourism and Convention Board said reservations and group sales are up 70 percent so far this season.
Not only was the snow bountiful and early, Vail Resorts has also surrendered to pressure from local merchants and is allowing discount season pass holders at Breckenridge and Keystone to use their passes 10 times this season at Vail. It means Vail will probably retake the title of the nation's busiest ski resort from Breckenridge.
But Breckenridge is also seeing lots of business.
"We are five months into a six-month season and we have high hopes for April in that April has for years presented a great opportunity for our business, especially for resorts like Breckenridge," said Breckenridge spokesman Jim Felton.
"You are skiing on the deepest snow of the year, the days are longer, it's warmer, and lodging and lift tickets are less expensive."