D Friday, January 8, 2010 News Berlins Schaubuhne Theatre Company rehearses Shakespeares Hamlet at the Sydney Festival yesterday. Directed by Thomas Ostermeier, the German- language version will play at the Sydney Theatre Company until January 16 Picture: AFP Holidaymakers from Britain were down 16 per cent in 2009, while visi- tors from the US and Europe dropped by eight per cent. The Volvo Ocean Race in Galway last June was one of the few successes of the year, bringing in 56million. However, Filte Ireland said it hopes 2010 will mark a turning point for the sector and is unveiling new strategies to encourage growth in order to capi- talise on the growing number of peo- ple staying in Ireland for breaks. The organisation will spend 20mil- lion on tourist attractions and infra- structure and launch its biggest ever home-holiday advertising campaign. Redmond ODonoghue, Filte Ire- land chairman, said: Operators are expressing confidence about the fu- ture and are expecting greater stabili- ty upon which to begin recovering. Tourism looks towards a brighter future for 2010 THE vast majority of tourism opera- tors believe the worst is over after the sector suffered one of its toughest years, it was revealed yesterday. Almost two-thirds of businesses de- pendent on holidaymakers feel the next 12 months will be on a par or better than last year, compared with just a fifth heading into 2009. Revenue dropped 17 per cent last year as overseas visitor numbers fell by 12 per cent. By Colm Kelpie Hotel rooms fall below 100 mark THE Average price of a hotel room has fallen below 100 for the first time since the start of the recession. Figures from Hospitality Ireland magazine found the average cost of a double room dropped by more than ten per cent from November to December last year, to 93.31. Five-star hotels experienced the biggest drop, falling more than 30 per cent to 157.45 since August. 28% of women stop taking pill ONE in four sexually active women stop taking the contraceptive pill because it does not agree with them according to research by the Waterford-based Brenner Clinic. There is no medical reason to take a break, but 28 per cent discontinue taking the pill because they worry about being on it long-term. Mood swings, weight gain and depression were other reasons given for quitting. Police chief quits over jet bomb gaffe THE head of Slovakias border police resigned yesterday following a botched security exercise in which a Slovak man flew to Dublin unknowingly carrying explosives in his luggage. The man was detained in Ireland several days later, after Slovak authorities told their Irish counterparts to search for the explosives, which had passed undetected through the airport in Poprad. Interior Minister Robert Kalinak said he had accepted the resignation of Tibor Mako, whose department was in charge of the operation. What happened at Poprad airport was a stupid human error, Mr Kalinak said. It is a clear individual error, not a system failure. Disciplinary proceedings against the policeman responsible are under way. Security experts condemned the planting of explosives in the luggage of a regular passenger, instead of using a police agent. Tibor Mako: Head of the Slovak border police has quit To be or not to be index.html2.html3.html4.html5.html6.html7.html8.html9.html10.html11.html12.html13.html14.html15.html16.html17.html18.html19.html20.html21.html22.html23.html24.html25.html26.html27.html