COLUMBUS — Two years ago, Ohio's 1-800-BUCKEYE phone number was promoted as the nation's busiest travel and tourism hot line. But since then, it's lost more than half its business as people have turned to Web sites to make travel plans.

        Calls have declined 53 percent from this time two years ago. And the number of visits to the state's travel Web site - www.ohiotourism.com - fell 19 percent in the first five months of this year.

        “The first thing we did was call around to the other states. We found out we're not the only ones,” said Jim Epperson, director of the Ohio Division of Travel and Tourism.

        Tourism in Ohio accounts for 657,000 jobs, an annual payroll of $8.9 billion and visitor spending of $27.1 billion in 1999.

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