LONDON (Reuters) - Fires, diseases, floods, droughts, intense heat and rising seas may turn leading tourist destinations into hell on earth under a scenario of global climate change which may also threaten three eastern U.S. states, a British conservation group said Sunday.

A survey carried out by the University of East Anglia for the World Wide Fund for Nature on the potential impact of climate change on 10 of the world's favorite holiday destinations said countries and tour operators would have to factor climate change into plans.

The report said the Atlantic coasts of Delaware, Maryland, and Florida may be threatened by sea-level rise, erosion, storm damage and warming waters with consequent effects on tourism.

The ecologically important Everglades in Florida would also be threatened.

Meanwhile coral reefs that constitute one of Florida's key attractions may be bleached and killed by warmer seas, the report said.

The report did not mention how far water could rise or give a time frame for its climate change scenario.

The university's report said 1998 was the hottest year of the millennium and showed that no area of the world would be untouched by the effects of climate change.

Small island states like the Maldives in the Indian Ocean could be vulnerable to sea-level rise, as could the U.S. tourist industry in Delaware, Maryland and Florida.

David Viner, senior research scientist at the university, said: ``Areas like the Mediterranean, a popular destination for British tourists, could become unbearable during the traditional summer holiday season.''

Ute Collier, head of climate change at the university, said: ``The tourism industry could be faced with huge costs as global warming begins to influence decisions about when and where people are going to go on holiday.''

Malaria was likely to re-emerge in Spain along with fires and flash floods, the report said.

The Alps and skiing areas in Australia and Scotland might suffer from a lack of snow.

Drought and intense heat could affect wildlife distribution and put endangered animals under additional stress in East and South Africa.