English tourist destinations reported Easter business at about 70-80% of last year despite worries about the foot and mouth disease outbreak, according to government sources.

A joint report passed to the Government's Cobra foot-and-mouth emergency response team on Friday showed that most people appeared to have got the message that the disease had not shut down England's tourist venues.

The report, prepared by the English Tourism Council, English Heritage, the National Trust and the Department of Culture, found that some attractions even enjoyed higher levels of demand than last year.
http://news.airwise.com/stories/2001/04/987939738.html


Yet:

Northern Ireland and the Netherlands confirmed new cases of foot-and-mouth Sunday while the British government played down reports that mass burning of animals was spreading lethal pollutants.

The British province suffered its fourth outbreak of the virulent livestock disease while the Dutch agriculture ministry reported its 26th. In both cases, the infected sites were close to existing outbreaks.
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/scien...-disease-.html

[This message has been edited by doc (edited 04-22-2001).]