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The Briefcase: No-go hollier zones, pre-budget chat and the value of reading the fine print

This was the week in business.

TOURISM IS BIG business for Ireland – and we’re not just talking about Americans sporting “Kiss Me I’m Irish” T-shirts.

Domestic travellers are the lifeblood of the pubs, hotels and B&Bs in many towns across the isle.

But what happens when tourists decide your district’s best feature is the road that takes them as quickly as possible out of there?

Here’s that and all the other business news that’s been on a sight-seeing tour of the 26 counties this week:

Need to know

Not all places were created equal… At least not in the eye of tourists

Holliers in the Irish countryside, is there anything better? The rolling green hills, rugged coastline and quaint towns – this island crams it all into a neat package.

Well this week we learned the shocking fact that despite all that culture and natural beauty, Irish people have some definite turn-offs when it comes to their blossoming love-affair with the domestic trip.

ARC_6293 At least these guys know how to enjoy themselves cosmo_71 cosmo_71

The latest Central Statistics Office figures revealed an Irish jaunt is back in favour among local travellers with residents taking 5.2% more domestic trips in the second quarter of 2014 than the same time last year.

But the numbers also unearthed the harsh reality that some counties are marked no-go zones for Irish people taking a holiday or visiting their near and dear.

Last year domestic travellers made only an anaemic 129,000 visits to the two border counties of Louth and Monaghan, while the midlands counties of Laois and Offaly fared little better with only 146,000 trips.

Meanwhile, the top destination, Dublin, got 1.34 million trips followed by Cork with 740,000.

We also heard from tourism operators that the country’s southwest and southern regions were going off their nuts with tourists this season.

Businesses said it was the Germans, in particular, who had been bringing their lederhosen in record numbers to attractions like the Wild Atlantic Way along the country’s west coast.

FailteIrelandTV / YouTube

Nice to know

SamsungTomorrow / YouTube

Now you know

Best of 2010 - News Low mileage, only one owner? AP / Press Association Images AP / Press Association Images / Press Association Images

One for the road

Between the odd hours and the insatiable crush of the daily news cycle, journalism can be a cruel mistress at the best of times.

But giant killer bees rarely feature among the hazards associated with the business, at least not in TheJournal.ie’s pollen-free offices.

So let’s take a moment to commiserate with this US Fox News meteorologist who came under “attack” on camera while delivering her bulletin.

FOX59 News / YouTube

So technically it wasn’t really a giant bee – just the normal-sized insect massively magnified as it flew close to the lens – but we’re still with you in solidarity, Jennifer.

READ: ‘Handbag drinkers’, Tesco troubles and Apple gets its flex on

READ: Double Irish with a twist of Keynsian economics and… new iPhones OMG OMG!

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