Without special aid, English tourism was likely to lose 5bn this year, 2.5bn next year and 1bn in 2003, the council said. Most countryside businesses depend upon British visitors for their income. Nearly 4 out of every 5 spent on tourism in England comes from people who live here.
Ministers are now anxious to see the countryside start returning to normal before the election.
He added that the risk of spreading the disease is not coming primarily from footpaths, but that the major disease risks are the movements of vehicles, the movements of people and the unlicensed movements of livestock. Mr Brown's pleas came as four paths leading to the summit of Mount Snowdon were being officially reopened today after the foot and mouth crisis forced their closure. The Snowdon massif, in the heart of north Wales, was closed to the public on February 27 and was a designated infected area until April 18. Following the reopening, walkers will still be obliged to disinfect footwear at the start and end of their excursion. Ramblers' Association spokesperson Jacquetta Fewster welcomed the move.