From the USATODAY paper this morning:


With U.S. travel to Europe from January through April down an estimated 5.3% from the year before, hoteliers, restaurateurs and tour guides are bemoaning the loss of business.

France is especially hard hit: In the January-April period, the number of Americans visiting France plunged 26% from 2002, the French Government Tourist Office says. In 2002, France was the No. 2 European destination for Americans (behind Britain), with about 3 million U.S. visitors.

Even before the war, Americans were staying home: Europe received 10.7 million U.S. visitors in 2002, 11.6% fewer than in 2001.

Now, tourism officials are putting on a full-court press to woo Americans back with ads and deals. The European Travel Commission's www.visiteurope.com site is even posting comments from satisfied visitors.

Meanwhile, there is a certifiable deterrent to a European vacation: the weak dollar. That's a big factor in reluctance to plan a summer vacation there, a new Travel Industry Association of America survey says. Thursday, it took about $1.17 to buy a single euro (at the interbank rate), 12 cents more than a year ago.