Cork City has received the Purple Flag accreditation, a recognition of its commitment to creating a dynamic, secure, and vibrant evening and night time economy.
Purple Flag – similar to the Blue Flag for beaches – aims to raise the standard and broaden the appeal of town and city centres between the hours of 5 pm to 5 am. This prestigious award highlights Cork’s blend of entertainment, dining, and culture, all while ensuring the safety and well-being of residents and visitors in the evening and night time economy.
Key successes in Cork’s submission include the introduction of the Night Time Economy (NTE) Advisor role, the Night Time Economy Steering Group and the upcoming Night Time Economy Strategy.
Ardmheara Cllr Dan Boyle said, “The award is a great achievement for the city centre. The businesses together with key stakeholders such as the Gardai, Cork City Council, Cork Chamber and Cork Business Association continue to work hard to ensure that it remains a city comparable with the best. I’d like to thank all the businesses and venues who accommodated the assessors on the night of their visit and showed them just how vibrant the city is in the evening”.
Fiona Collins, NTE Advisor added that “it is wonderful to see the night time offering in Cork recognised for its culture and diversity as well as crediting all those in the city who make the night time economy what it is”.
There are 100 Purple Flag destinations around the globe across the UK, Ireland, Sweden, Malta, New Zealand and Australia. This includes world renowned tourist destinations to small market towns. Purple Flag has represented the gold standard of the management of evening and night time economies for nearly 15 years.
For more information on the purple flag accreditation see Purple Flag | ATCM.
Notes:
Recent research by IPSOS Behaviour and Attitudes found that over two thirds of people are opting to use public transport when visiting Cork city centre. Up to 63% travel to the city centre by bus while 5% take a train. Up to 20% use a car while 32% walk. Most of the people living in the city centre and visiting to shop, work and socialise are young and single – with one in four born outside Ireland. Visits to bars, restaurants, cafés, live music events and concerts, cinema and theatre are the main reasons why people visit by night.
Cork’s compact nature and the ease of socializing in the city centre are amongst people’s favourite things about the city. Its variety of shops and broad arts and cultural offering are also prized. Up to 57% rate it for its safety and security.