LATEST DUBLIN CITY NEWS

• “Proposed changes to retail guidelines will cost jobs, compromise main streets and cause more dereliction - An Taisce”

  03-01-2012

  Jobs will be lost and main streets will suffer if Forfas gets its way on Retail Planning  according to a recent An Taisce  Press Release

• Rejuvenating Dublin's Tourism Product

  23-12-2011

  Dublin City Business Association commissioned Jerome Casey and Felim O’Rourke to undertake a study of tourism in Dublin and to make least-cost recommendations for its rejuvenation. The World Tourism Organisation concluded (in relation to Ireland) that "there appears to be very little correlation between marketing spending by National Tourism Organisations and international arrivals". 
  

  Within Ireland, there is a mismatch between the Irish tourism market and the public resources devoted to it. 

  33 existing tourist attractions in Dublin were reviewed, and low-cost initiatives suggested for their improvement.

  From 2000 – 2010 Ireland’s share of world tourism visitors has fallen sharply. In 2004, Ireland changed from being a destination country for incoming tourists to an origin country for Irish, outgoing tourists.

  Dublin must move from passive approval of tourist activities to an active development of tourism as a priority industry in regenerating the city’s economy. 

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

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US retailers report profits fall and in Europe British shops empty at an alarming rate

Monday the 2nd of March 2009

Some of the US's best-known retailers have reported slumps in profits for the three months to the end of January, as the recession begins to bite.
 
Macy's profits were reported as down 59% and their sales were down 7.7% Home Depot reported a loss of $54 million. The US economy relies on consumer spending, which accounts for around two-thirds of all economic activity.
 
General Motors have reported that their sales in the USA are down 53%.
 
It appears that some US shoppers are shifting their expenditure to focus on basics and like Irish consumers are shopping at the exclusive and value ends of the retail offer.
 
In the UK over 90,000 shops are empty and 10,000 local authority employees have lost their jobs as business rates decline in line with shops closures.
 
In Ireland retail vacancies are rising and Government is failing to reduce public sector expenditure. Proposals to increase taxes on residential homes and on income tax are misguided and will only result in taking money (disposable spend) out of the real economy (restaurants, shops, pubs, transport, etc.) which will further depress the economy and lead to more job losses in the private sector services such as architects, accountants, designers, media, builders, etc.