Tourism drive as disease spreads

Tony Blair driving the tourism message home

Prime Minister Tony Blair has mounted a crusade to encourage people to visit the countryside as fears grow that foot-and-mouth may have hit another prime tourism spot.

Mr Blair asked tourists to ignore "misleading images" as the government gave details of a £120m loan to help businesses crippled by the crisis.

Crisis in the UK

Cases confirmed on Friday: 26

Total confirmed cases: 1,084

440,000 animals due for slaughter

764,000 animals have been slaughtered

498,000 carcasses destroyed

There are fears that the picturesque Peak District which attracts thousands of visitors may be the next area to be blighted by the disease.

Officials have given the go-ahead for the first mass cull of sheep at Spray House Farm, at Little Hayfield which is under suspicion of having foot-and-mouth.

John Lomas, head of conservation at the Peak District National Park Authority said: "In the National Park we have in the region of half a million sheep," he said.

"This farm is open to the moor and there are a lot of sheep that could have mixed, so we are very concerned."

Changing perceptions

On his visit to Yorkshire on Monday Mr Blair was keen to stress the huge areas of the countryside that remain open to visitors.

"The most important thing to get across to people is that Britain is open there is no problem with people coming over," he said.

There is absolutely no way we could compensate everybody in the tourist industry

Tony Blair

With tourist revenue down 80% in badly affected areas, the British Hospitality Association estimates the crisis could cost the tourist industry at least £5bn by September.

In an interview with BBC Radio York Mr Blair has asked tourists to support the countryside but deflected calls for interest free loans or compensation for stricken tourist businesses.

Loan scheme

"There is absolutely no way we could compensate everybody in the tourist industry - the most important thing is to get some of those images changed and reversed," he said.

There was some good news for small businesses however as the government announced it was making an extra £120m in loans available to small businesses suffering because of foot-and-mouth.

Farmland is still off-limits

The Small Firms Loan Guarantee Scheme will underwrite sums of between £5,000 and £250,000 for garages, restaurants, souvenir shops, and others hit by cash flow problems.

But Chris Collier, chief executive of the Cumbrian Tourist Board, said the gesture was still not enough.

"I believe Cumbria now is in a unique position - possibly Devon too - where they need direct help, cash now to tide them over, not loans," she said.

There was some respite for tourists too, as it was announced that one of Britain's most famous ancient monuments, Stonehenge is to reopen to the public on 10 April.

The government also announced a £6m promotional campaign designed to make the case for the British tourism, though Shadow Culture Secretary Peter Ainsworth branded it "paltry and insulting".

Businesses need direct help - cash now to tide them over, not loans

Cumbrian Tourist Board

Local politicians in unaffected areas fear the tourism drive could have disastrous consequences.

Buckinghamshire county council's deputy leader Bill Chapple is worried about fresh outbreaks.

"I want the tourists to come along and see the countryside as it should be, alive and kicking - not an empty shell because we have opened it too early and let the disease into areas as yet unaffected."

The number of confirmed cases of the disease rose to 1,084 on Friday. Only around two thirds of the 1.2m animals authorised for slaughter have actually been killed.

Navy joins campaign

The Royal Navy is now joining the battle to speed up the process.

A team of 80 sailors from HMS Sultan training base in Gosport, Hants, will depart for Wales on Saturday to form part of the MoD assistance team to the Ministry of Agriculture.

A smaller team of 14 sailors have left from the Portsmouth naval base for Devon, where they will join a larger group as part of the military liaison teams.