Fires, Spiking Gas Aside, Calif. Tourism Still Sunny

Flocking foreigners capitalize on dollar
By Nick McMaster,  Newser Staff
Posted Jul 3, 2008 4:25 PM CDT
Fires, Spiking Gas Aside, Calif. Tourism Still Sunny
The 2008 California Road Trips Guide offers California visitors new and exciting driving itineraries throughout all 12 regions of the state.    (AP Photo)

Near-continuous wildfires and soaring gas prices don’t seem to have made much of a dent in California’s tourism industry, the San Jose Mercury News reports. California's AAA reports only an 0.8% drop in Fourth of July domestic tourism, and a jump in visitors from abroad more than makes up the difference, travel officials say.

"International is looking very strong…the weak dollar makes us a bargain, and California attracts one out of five visitors who come to the United States," says a tourism official. (More tourism stories.)

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