Caribbean islands stung by U.S. terrorist attacks

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico -- Many resorts across the Caribbean stand empty, their beachfronts void of tourists and manicured lawns dotted by goats in a tourism slump brought on by weakened world economies.

Now islands whose economies depend on tourists fear the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington will be the last straw.

"It will have an immediate impact on air travel," says Jean Holder of the Barbados-based Caribbean Tourism Organization. "It will ensure that the recovery we had hoped for this year will be deferred."

Warm weather months in the United States and Europe are usually slow times for Caribbean tourism, but this summer has been slower than most. Resorts that normally stay open year-round -- two on St. Lucia and two on Antigua -- closed in July and don't expect to open until at least November. That left 550 people temporarily without jobs.

Britain relaxes warning on travel in Sri Lanka

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka -- The British High Commission has relaxed a warning against travel to Sri Lanka, saying that tension had eased and security strengthened on the island wracked by a protracted civil war.

In July, the embassy issued a stern warning asking would-be travelers to postpone their trips until further notice.

That announcement came a day after Tamil Tiger rebels attacked Sri Lanka's only international airport. There were no civilian causalities in the attack, but it triggered fears about safety.

The renewed advisory has asked visitors to avoid travel to the country's north and east where fighting between government troops and the rebels is the heaviest. The violence has often spilled into cities where the rebels have targeted politicians and government assets. Tourism is one of Sri Lanka's key foreign exchange earners. Britain is the country's biggest tourist market.

--From wire reports