Frankfurt, Germany ? The euro soared to a record high against the dollar Tuesday in a major boost for many U.S. exporters but deepening the pain for the continent’s struggling economy and American tourists in Europe.

The euro reached a high of $1.1932 in trading in Europe, breaking the old high of $1.1884 set Jan. 4, 1999, a few days after the euro began to circulate as the shared currency of 12 European countries.

Winners include the many U.S. companies that sell overseas, many of which have reported fatter earnings in recent weeks due to the weaker dollar.

Losers include Europe’s export-fueled economy, whose pricing edge over U.S. competitors is vanishing, and American fanciers of European vacations and imported goodies like French wine and German sports cars.

They’re going to pay more.

“This is a burden,” said Michael Rogowski, the head of the Federation of German Industry. “Every cent above one-to-one gives me bigger stomach pains.”

Trader Don Duffy reacts during trading in the euro currency futures pit at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. The euro soared to a record high against the dollar Tuesday in a major boost for many U.S. exporters. The euro reached a high of .1932 in trading in Europe, breaking the old high of .1884 set Jan. 4, 1999.

Fewer American tourists have been traveling to Europe anyway, due to concerns about terrorism and even the SARS outbreak, which is much more acute in Asia but has influenced perceptions about air travel.

Charles Gildea of Annapolis, Md., ignored these modern-day perils to visit Paris for his 50th wedding anniversary, declaring: “We weren’t going to let anything get in our way!”

But he admitted the slumping dollar was a hard blow.

“We’re suffering — this is costing at least 20 cents more on the dollar,” said Gildea, a retired financial manager. “But then again, Paris means spending money.”

A six-euro ticket to savor the stunning antiquities at Berlin’s Pergamon Museum now sets U.S. visitors back just more than $7, compared to $5.50 at the same time last year. A 180-euro double hotel room in Paris’s St. Germain des Pres neighborhood on the Left Bank has gone from $165 to $212.