News

Radisson Profits down

Pre-tax profits at the company which operates the four-star Radisson Blu hotel off South Great George's Street in Dublin last year declined by 32pc to €1.15m.

New accounts filed by Luxor Leisure show that the company recorded the pre-tax profits after revenues had declined by 4pc to €12.3m from €12.8m in the 12 months to October 31.

The directors' report says at the date of approving the financial statements, Covid-19 has had a negative effect on activities since year end and has resulted in lower than expected activity since year end.

Oceanworld seeks state aid

The director of Ireland's largest aquarium fears they may have to close unless th business gets a State rescue package to help to pay the bills to run their giant tanks. oceanworld0720

Dingle Oceanworld - which is home to tiger sharks, loggerhead turtles and the country's only gentoo penguin colony - has overheads of around €1m a year for fixed costs like power bills, staff, feed and veterinary bills.

With takings already down by over €200,000 since lockdown, Kevin Flannery is hoping they can continue to operate the popular tourist attraction with exhibits such as deep tropical ocean tanks and their polar exhibition which mimics icy polar conditions.

He said: “We're way down financially. We still have a cost of €110,000 for our power alone every year.

Planning hitch for Cork hotel

Planners have raised concerns about the 'dominating effect' of a proposed new hotel on the site of the former Coliseum cinema in Cork city. corkhotel0720

International Investment company ICAV had proposed the redevelopment of the Leisureplex site, formerly the Coliseum cinema, and adjacent buildings to provide for a 171-bedroom hotel.

The proposal included modifications to the existing facade of the former postal sorting office, which is a protected structure, to allow for the construction of a five- to seven-storey building on MacCurtain Street and Brian Boru Street.

However, city planners have raised concerns and told the developer to revise its design. The developer has six months to comply with the request.

Kelley to urge tourism re-opening

Fáilte Ireland will call today for the country to reopen to overseas tourists “as soon and as fast as public health considerations can allow” to help the tourism sector recover from Covid-19. pkelly1118

Paul Kelly, chief executive of the tourism agency, will tell the Dáil Covid-19 committee that the pandemic’s impact on tourism has been “catastrophic” and “dwarfs all previous crises”.

He will say that the 14-day self-isolation period for tourists “effectively closes Ireland to all overseas visitors” and recovery in the industry will be hampered by the “complete absence and slow rebuild of over 70 per cent revenue” that comes from overseas visitors.

“We simply must find a way to facilitate the planning for and the re-opening of access for overseas tourism as soon and as fast as public health considerations can allow,” Mr Kelly will say.

Bewleys staff redundancies

Staff at Bewley’s café on Grafton Street have been told they are being made redundant, rediucing hopes that the decision to close the historic café would be reversed.

Some 110 staff are being made redundant and they were informed of the decision by the company on Wednesday evening. The café’s last day of trading before the lockdown was March 16th.

The decision to close the café permanently was announced in May by the operator of the business, Bewley’s Ltd, which is owned by artist Paddy Campbell.