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Report: The Discos Of Europe Are Dying

Italian daily La Repubblica charts the decline of European discoteques and nightclubs.

Ciao Ciao disco in Marano Vicentino, Italy
Ciao Ciao disco in Marano Vicentino, Italy

Across Europe, discotheques have lost their groove. Italian daily La Repubblica dedicates a four-part special series to the decline of discos and night clubs across the Old Continent over the past decade. Citing interviews with club owners and others in the entertainment business, La Repubblica attributes the floundering dance club scene to a variety of factors, including competition from locations operating without permits; high taxes levied on clubs; difficulties in landing big-name performers; and the steep costs associated with boosting security.

Some of the report's findings:

  • The Netherlands saw a 38% dip in its number of discos between 2001 and 2011.
  • The number of British discos plummeted to 1,733 today from 3,144 in 2005, and spending in clubs has decreased 500 million euros ($551 million at current exchange) in the same period.
  • In Italy, the number of discos has halved to 2,500 today from about 5,000 in 2005.
  • The one shining spot is Berlin, Germany, which has remained relatively stable at 350 dance clubs. But even in the German capital overall earnings have declined.

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Society

Tales From A Blushing Nation: Exploring India's 'Issues' With Love And Sex

Why is it that this nation of a billion-plus has such problems with intimacy and romance?

Photo of Indian romance statues

Indian romance statues

Sreemanti Sengupta

KOLKATA — To a foreigner, India may seem to be a country obsessed with romance. What with the booming Bollywood film industry which tirelessly churns out tales of love and glory clothed in brilliant dance and action sequences, a history etched with ideal romantics like Laila-Majnu or the fact that the Taj Mahal has immortalised the love between king Shahjahan and queen Mumtaz.

It is difficult to fathom how this country with a billion-plus population routinely gets red in the face at the slightest hint or mention of sex.

It therefore may have come as a shock to many when the ‘couple-friendly’ hospitality brand OYO announced that they are “extremely humbled to share that we observed a record 90.57% increase in Valentine’s Day bookings across India.”

What does that say about India’s romantic culture?

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