US tourists pull back amid BSE confusion

American tourists are snubbing the UK because they have confused foot-and-mouth disease with BSE and fear that UK food is unsafe for them to eat. Bob Cotton, chief executive of the British Hospitality Association, said this misconception emerged during his two-day visit to the USA last week to counter what he saw as unbalanced reporting on the crisis in the American media. While images of burning carcasses, disinfectant tanks, weeping farmers, a paralysed countryside and empty tourist attractions were deterring some US visitors, Cotton said the key issue turned out to be slightly different than he had expected. "In the US, they are linking hoof-and-mouth disease, as they call it, with BSE. At the moment, the key issue is the safety of the food," he said. "People are asking ‘Are the restaurants open?', ‘Is there any food in the shops?' and ‘If we can't eat lamb and beef, what can we eat?'" The USA is an important market for UK tourism and contributed some four million visitors last year. Cotton said the main problem was not large-scale cancellations but the fact that forward bookings were not coming through for the summer season. This week, the Government is expected to announce funding to help the tourist industry win back business. Cotton believed the British Tourist Authority needed immediate funds of £12m-£15m for overseas publicity, while another £20m was required for a campaign to kick-start domestic tourism in England. Scotland and Wales, he added, would need additional appropriate funding. During his trip, Cotton was interviewed by ITN, BBC, CNN, Sky and consumer and business channels, along with the *Los Angeles Times* and *New York Times*. He also met with travel writers, travel agents and public relations firms with travel links.