MANY would-be UK travellers are putting their travel plans on hold until the full extent of the Hurricane Katrina devastation is revealed.
The hurricane, which led to the cancellation of many flights and the destruction of many hotels and tourist complexes as well as an estimated
several hundred deaths, is sure to have serious implications for tourism in the Gulf Coast area.
The tourist mecca of New Orleans, which has thousands of foreign visitors at this time of year, was worst hit.
At the time of going to Press, the city was 70 per cent under water with billions of dollars in damage reported.
And the tourist resort town of Biloxi, 70 miles from New Orleans, was absolutely devastated with buildings 500 yards from the sea completely
flattened.
Millions of homes throughout Mississippi, Louisiana and Alabama are without clean water and power after winds up to 145 mph - and 30 ft waves surged
through the coastal region wrecking everything in its path. Hurricane Katrina has been described as the worst storm ever to hit mainland
USA, with damage estimated at more than 15 billion dollars. The Gulf Coast region was reckoned to be well on the way towards becoming
the country's second largest gaming centre in the US, with many of its biggest and most modern casinos and tourist complexes destroyed.
Up to 35,000 UK tourists visit Mississippi each year, but a spokesman for the state's tourism industry admitted that much of its infrastructure was
now in ruins.
Many thousands of travellers' plans have been destroyed by cancellation of hundreds of flights during the emergency. No fewer than eight major
airports, including New Orleans, were closed.
Another effect has been the soaring cost of fuel, both for cars and aircraft, caused by disruption to 90 per cent of the drilling platforms in
the Gulf of Mexico.
"It is hard to say when the region's tourism industry will recover," said a Mississippi Tourism official, "but there will certainly be major disruption
in the Gulf Coast region for the next few months." Intending UK travellers to the region are advised to check with their travel
agent for the latest information, or visit the Foreign and Commonwealth Office