European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - April 20, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Sunday april 20, 1986 the stars and stripes Page 19 business news terrorism weak Dollar curbing tourism London a terrorism the . Libya skirmishes and the weakened Dollar Are keeping Many americans away from Mediterranean countries and from Europe where . Tourists spent $6.6 billion last year. Some countries expect a summer of empty hotels and quiet Cash registers with the Impact ranging from a tourism catastrophe for Egypt to setbacks for the tour industries of Greece and Italy. Last year 6.4 million americans up from 3.8 million in 1980, spent $6.6 billion in Europe according to the european travel commission a 23-country organization that promotes tourism to Europe. Spokesman . Carney said the commis Sion still hoped for a reasonably Good year in 1986" but it was hard to make predictions after the bombing of a trans world airlines Jet that killed four americans on a flight from Rome to Athens Greece. American express expects a decline of 20 to 25 percent in the number of package tour bookings from the United states said John Duncan spokesman for american express operations in Europe the Middle East and Africa. The High profile publicity in the states on terrorist activity and the Twa bomb ing Haven t helped Duncan said in Lon Don. But the substantial decline of the Dol Lar against european currencies also has t helped. The Dollar is Down about 30 percent against a year  Here Are reports on some main tourist Beautiful Pittsburgh Tolos Doxia Dis president of the Athens hoteliers association. Doxia Dis said the Industry had hoped for a gradual increase in business As people forgot about last year s hijackings. Now the logical answer is no he said. If you remind americans every three months that their lives Are in danger they just won t come  Industry officials worry that american tourism could drop 50 percent in 1986. Last year 466,000 americans visited Greece and the common Market Esti mates that Greece lost $100 million in tourism  As of easter american tourism was Down 1 5 percent from last year said Gabriele More i head of Italy s National tourist Board. Rome hotels reported a drop in Ameri can visitors. At the Hilton the number of americans was Down 40 percent and Al most All american tour groups had can celeb for 1986. Experiences the ambiance of downtown Buffalo How about Ostosh in the Spring Britain the favorite starting Point special no frills no bombs package with a three Cay Layover in Awe inspiring f or american Tours of Europe Brit Ainnisia ask. Newark. Areas compiled by associated press bureaus in european and Middle Eastern countries Egypt it s a disaster said Shawky Hussein an executive with the govern ment owned miss travel co. He said the number of . Visitors dropped by up to 40 percent in november and december after hijackings of the Achille Lauro cruise ship in which one american was slain and of an egy Plair Jet in which an american investor s guide by William Doyle q. My son in Law let me read a newsletter he receives. The author writes about  he claims people who own Bonds should sell them and take the Money and  he also says that the safest income investment for americans this year is definitely not certificates of Deposit. He says the Only Safe investment for 1986 is . Treasury Bills. The newsletter contains Many other dire predictions too numerous to mention. What is your opinion of this a. It s that your son in Law is wasting the Money he pays to subscribe to that newsletter. There Are Many gloom and doom sheets such As that one. The bust of our nation s Economy which they have been predicting for decades has t happened. Although it would be wrong to assert it can t happen it s most unlikely it Ever will happen. The cassandras who make Money churn ing out those the financial sky is falling newsletters have Long records of making dead wrong predictions. Let s look at the items you mention. Prices of marketable Bonds those bought and sold in the marketplace go in the opposite direction of interest rates. In Terest rates have been falling and Bond prices rising for several years. This trend has continued in just the Short time since you wrote your letter. If you had followed that newsletter s advice and sold Bonds you would be kicking yourself. Neither 1 nor anyone else can Promise that Bond prices will continue to go up. But a Sharp reversal in that trend has to be considered most doubtful. Treasury Bills like All . Treasury securities Are counted As the safest investment in the world. However no one has Ever lost any Money in cd covered by Federal de posit insurance. In practice insured cd Are As Safe As treasuries. Suggest to your daughter s husband that he Check the accuracy of predictions in Back issues of that newsletter. I d Lay Long Odds the newsletter was wrong far More often than it was Correct. Maybe your son in Law enjoys having the financial wits scared out of him. Some people get their kicks at horror movies. Q. A Fly by night operation opened an office in our Small town several years ago and a Beautiful Blond Saleswoman persuaded my husband to buy diamonds. I opposed the investment to no Avail. Needless to say the company is Long gone. We would like to sell the diamonds my husband bought but have no idea How to do so. What can we do a. To unload that investment you should have the diamonds appraised at Sev eral jewelry stores and sell them for the Best Price you can get. Prices can vary from one jeweler to another. No matter what you get Brace yourself for a tremendous loss. Even at legitimate dealers there s a huge markup Between the prices at which gems Are sold to the Public and the prices at which dealers buy. Q. Should t you warn your readers about Gold and Silver paddlers offering puts and Calls these individuals have no More knowledge of what Gold and Silver prices will be than the average person read ing the financial Section of the daily paper. I m sadder and Wiser after a constant barrage of phone Calls overcame my com Mon sense. A. And undoubtedly poorer. And an israeli were singled out and killed by the hijackers. In March rioting egyptian police conscripts wrecked tourist hotels near the pyramids. The army was called out to quell the disturbances. Ashraf Horbal who led a tourism pro motion Mission to the United states last month said the americans Are afraid of travelling to the whole Eastern Mediterranean area because of the recent spate of hijacking bomb explosions and Airport at  Israel the number of pilgrims visit ing Jerusalem for the easter Holiday was noticeably Low and government figures show that tourism from the United states in january and february was 35 percent lower than the year before. Greece the bomb explosion on the Twa Jet was a blow to a tourism Industry staggering under previous terrorism at tacks. Bookings at Athens luxury hotels Are Down 60 percent this year said Apos tour counted 3.3 million american visitors last year up 15 percent from 1984, and Hopes for even More with the rare attraction of the Royal wedding of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson on july 23. The announcement of the Royal wed Ding is the right kind of thing for us be cause people like our Royal pageantry. Which no other country has said Sandy Dawe a spokeswoman for the British tourist authority. Ireland concern about strife in Northern Ireland is taking the Edge off a record set in 1985 for american tourism 426,000 visitors up 24 percent from 1984. With the weakened Dollar and a fall in Overall american bookings to Europe Well be very Lucky if we hold on to the volume of business we had in 1985," said an Irish tourist Board official. Germany american group Tours Are Down by 10-20 percent so far this year said Klaus Mueller of the German tourist Central Agency in Frankfurt. But the Dol Lar s weakness is Given the largest share of the blame for the drop. Now your ism computer can Sif on your Lap or desk new York not the International business machines corp. Has introduced its Long awaited Lap top computer a 12-Pound Battery operated Model built for travelling executives writers and sales representatives. Called the pc convertible the machine was greeted cautiously by dealers and analysts. It Marks ism s entry into a Market that Only two years ago its own executives said compatible with its desktop line that could be used in the office then unplugged and carried aboard an air plane or a car. It has the virtue of being a desktop machine that you can also travel with Wil Liam c. Lowe the president of ism s entry systems division said. For the first time we make a computer Small enough that my wife lets me keep upstairs not Down in the of /"\i1u i Yuwu it evil y ij%j\j1w1 a _ _ of " r it fort shot sir As Safe Sens for Fri the Usu fun major Del k1 ?fcf"?.? l5?js.p"/2 6% $ 3.79 18.0 2.2 Harcourt lol a 6 4.85 21.0 1.0 digital ept 1823/4 5% 7.54 24.0 Cray rest 79v2 5% 2.49 32.0 Gap inc s 665 1.62 41.0 0.5 Texas ins 135 /2 4 /2 1.5 Dreyfus 103 /2 4 /4 4.80 22.0 0.8 Harris graph 22v8 3 i 1.35 16.0 Burgh 62 /4 3% 4.78 13.0 4.2 Warner 473/4 3v 2.87 17.0 1.0 amex composite most actives by volume Stock div vol close earns be old Wickes 2,692,600 6 "4 $ 0.11 57.0 fast pm 1,397,700 10% wangle 765,600 17% 0.9 am ill 746,200 7v8 0.33 23.0 Robert him 470,300 4u 0.11 39.0 Bat 400,200 6% 0.66 10.0 2.7 Warnum it 327,400 1 dome Petro 315,600 l /2 Western dig 295,900 a Alza a 265,500 42% 0.38113.0 amex composite largest net changes Stock close Cage earns be old Alza a 42% 25/a $ 0.38 1123.0 Citadel i 57% 2v2 8.25 7.0  emf 23% 2 a 2.14 11.0 1.7 us air was 20 1% Pitt was 99 /4 4 1% 6.78 15.0 1.8 Ich 76% l /4 6.96 11.0 conch 22 /2 l /4 1.68 13.0 1.8 chm Rdv b 12 l /4 chm Rdv a 12 l /4 Bic 25 h 4 1.94 13.0 1.9 be Price to earnings ratio old dividend yield def deficit St yield in Stock x sex dividend earnings latest 12 months unaudited