THE BALLOON MAN

Boston Bombing Puts Short-Term Losses on Salons to Circus
from: businessweek.com
By Brian K. Sullivan and Tom Moroney
April 18, 2013
From the restaurants and salons on trendy Newbury Street to the circus at City Hall Plaza, businesses are being squeezed in the aftermath of the Boston Marathon terror attack.

Tourism may see a short-term falloff, and the costs of increased security may be felt throughout the city’s economy. The damage isn’t expected to be long-lasting.

“We went from robust ticket sales to trickling ticket sales,” said Lynn Stirrup, executive director of the Big Apple Circus Ltd., which is running March 26 to May 12 next to City Hall. “We are expecting a significant impact overall.”

Two explosions near the finish line of the April 15 race killed three spectators and left more than 170 injured in what officials said was an act of terror. A 12-block area sealed off by police encompassed 4,000 hotel rooms and about 50 restaurants, Patrick Moscaritolo, chief executive officer of the Greater Boston Convention and Visitors Bureau. The zone was narrowed to four blocks yesterday.

Boston may see a dip in tourist dollars over the next few months as prospective visitors shaken by the news delay trips to the city, Moscaritolo said.

“It’s so difficult to get good data at this point,” he said. “But you always worry after a major incident because we’re dealing with human emotions.”

“It’s been difficult for all the business owners down here,” said Nestor Real, owner of Diego’s hair salon on Newbury Street, which is now open. “I was talking to a priest around the corner, and he can’t even get into his church.”
read more:
http://www.businessweek.com/news/2013-04-18/boston-bombing-puts-short-term-losses-on-salons-to-circus