THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: The stock market isn't the only thing going down these days. Take a look at this, gasoline is getting cheaper. The nation's gas prices dropped two cents a gallon over the past two weeks to an average of $1.51 for self-serve regular. Some had worried the attacks of September 11 would send gas prices skyrocketing but demand decreased. Nobody is traveling these days.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, that's right. You know analysts are saying that demand has been decreasing as many Americans are just sticking closer to home after the attacks, perhaps staying at home and watching television. Well that is trouble for the tourism industry.
As CNN's John Zarrella reports this morning from Orlando, even the Disney attractions are suffering right now.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Angelo Gonzalez has never seen it this slow.
ANGELO GONZALEZ, TAXI DRIVER: I told my friend the other day we're about 12 people away from being a ghost town.
ZARRELLA: Angelo drives a taxi in Orlando.
GONZALEZ: One day I went home with $21 in my pocket and the next day I went home with $15.
ZARRELLA: Tourist spending in Florida is down from $55 million a day to $35 million since September 11. In Orlando, which lives and dies on tourist dollars, hotel occupancies are, in some cases, in single digits. At the theme parks like Disney and Sea World, parking lots are completely empty, no lines, no waiting.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's actually not crowded at all. There's no wait for any of the rides.
ZARRELLA: Since the events of September 11, 250 conventions and meetings have either been cancelled or rebooked for later.
BILL PEEPER, VISITORS & CONVENTION BUREAU: There have been furloughs. Disney has furloughed a lot of their part-timers, as have a lot of the hotels. You know when you don't have a convention in doing a banquet, you don't need waiters and waitresses, you don't need cooks, et cetera, so there are cutbacks.
ZARRELLA: Fifty percent of Orlando's visitors come by plane but right now few people are flying.
(on camera): Until Americans are again comfortable with flying, tourism officials here say they're going to focus their attention on that segment of the population that can easily drive here, people from within the state and from neighboring states like Georgia, Alabama and the Carolinas.
(voice-over): At the Pirate's Dinner Adventure, plans are already in place to attract area residents.
ANDRES CIBOTTI, V.P. PIRATE'S DINNER ADVENTURE: We actually go to the local communities and we approach groups and a special discount for people actually in Orlando area.
ZARRELLA: Times are tough, but Angelo Gonzalez looks at it this way.
GONZALEZ: Behind every shared story there's a -- there's a big smile and I believe we're going to be smiling at the end of all this.
ZARRELLA: John Zarrella, CNN, Orlando.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
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