On Monday, Gov. Henry McMaster declared May 19-25 Travel and Tourism Week in South Carolina, where the hospitality industry has an impact of more than $29 billion.
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Memorial Day weekend, the start of the summer travel season, is just days away. As people begin preparing to spend their leisure time, the governor on Monday declared Travel and Tourism Week in the state.
In South Carolina, the hospitality industry has an impact of more than $29 billion. According to the South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism (SCPRT), one in 10 people in the state works in the hospitality industry, supporting more than 200,000 jobs.
“It’s definitely North Augusta,” Columbia resident Bobby Sidaikas said of his favorite place to visit in the state. “The golf, the people, the food, the greenway…it’s great.”
“Greenville,” John Chaney countered.
“I love Charleston,” said Lexington resident Lucy Lamp.
“I love Gilbert. Gilbert, South Carolina,” explained Lexington resident Glory Owiliwa, who is originally from Nigeria. “The Gilbert Peach Festival is held every July. The Fourth of July celebrates American independence. I love the food. The people. Everything in South Carolina is really nice.”
Nancy Mullen, a Columbia resident, said she likes to travel around the state and see different theaters. When it comes to beaches, she says, “We like going to Beaufort.”
For Hartsville resident Evan Thompson, “I have no choice but to choose Myrtle Beach because of the people, the environment, and the beach itself.”
These are all places South Carolinians say they enjoy traveling within their state. For Mullen, it’s encouraging to see that more people are visiting the Palmetto State and that tourism is on the rise.
“I’m glad they’re coming, because it generates money for the state. And that’s what every state needs,” Mullen said. “They can’t just rely on the public. We want people to come.”
SCPRT Director Duane Parrish spoke about the impact to tourism across the state in the wake of Governor Henry McMaster declaring May 19-25 as South Carolina Travel and Tourism Week.
“Thanks to our collective efforts in communities across the state, tourism-related tax collections reduce the annual tax burden for all South Carolinians by nearly $1,000,” Parrish said. “Look at the variety of things, places and attractions our state has to offer. Our state truly has everything from the mountains to the ocean. You can play golf on the beach in the morning and in the mountains in the afternoon. You can do it in other states, but you can’t do it on the same day.”
Speakers focused specifically on the growth of sports tourism. Sports tourism is one of the fastest growing sectors of the global tourism industry, Parrish said.
“The Palmetto State has always been a great state to compete in, but now more than ever, the destination is seeing increased investment and creativity as it attracts more and more sporting events to the Palmetto State,” Parrish explained. “In fact, the United Nations’ tourism division estimates that sports tourism accounts for 10% of the total global tourism industry, with a projected growth rate of 18% over the next six years. Sports tourism combines two key elements: the innate human desire to travel and an intense passion for sports.”
Lake Hartwell attracts visitors for the Bassmaster Classic.
“South Carolina and BASS are a great fit because we have natural resources within our state and BASS is an organization dedicated to protecting and promoting all natural resources around the world. That’s why BASS We are regular visitors to the state and have been here over 40 times for major events since 1972. In fact, South Carolina is the only state that hosts any type of event that BASS does.” said Philip Johnson, executive vice president of business development and customer engagement operations at BASS. “Lake Hartwell in South Carolina has hosted the Super Bowl Bass Fish and the Bassmaster Classic four times. Each classic event has set or broken attendance records. It shows that the people of South Carolina love BASS as much as we love BASS.”
In Myrtle Beach, Visit Myrtle Beach President Karen Riordan said tourism is the largest industry sector, employing more than 80,000 people and contributing $2.2 billion in labor impact. As that overall impact grows, Riordan said the area is seeing an increase in sports tourism, especially with the inaugural Myrtle Beach Classic being held a few weeks ago.
“This tournament shattered all expectations. There’s always some kind of risk going into a year and you don’t know exactly what’s going to happen,” Riordan said. “On Saturday night, May 11th, we learned that we had set a new PGA Tour record. 15,281 people attended on Saturday alone, the most for the inaugural PGA Tour. This has never happened in the history of the PGA.”
Similarly, Darlington Raceway President Josh Harris said his track is also attracting a lot of attention, which has a positive impact across the state.
“NASCAR events at Darlington Raceway attract visitors from more than 14 countries and all 50 states and generate more than $112 million in annual economic impact for South Carolina,” Harris said. . “In fact, more than 57 percent of his participants were from out of state.”
The impact extends beyond fishing boats, golf courses and racetracks, Parrish explained.
“On those trips, [visitors] They’re not coming to the sporting event, but they’re exploring the venue and the surrounding area, and the hotels and restaurants are full,” Parrish elaborated.
For places like Rock Hill, Mayor John Gettys says the direct results of sports tourism speak for themselves.
“Just a few years ago, our entertainment tax revenue was $25 million a year after deductions,” Gettys recalled. “This year, we will be over $110 million by the end of the year.”
Gettys said this is the result of various measures the city has taken, such as building the Rock Hill Sports and Events Center. Since focusing on sports tourism, Gettys said the community has come together.
“You know, sports tourism is what it brings us as a community, it brings us together. It’s why we build parks, it’s why we invest in people. It’s about relationships. It’s about preserving who we are as people in this state,” Gettys told event attendees. “When everything shut down because of COVID, the first live broadcast event in the country was thanks to a waiver by a governor to allow ESPN to broadcast the Cornhole Championship at the Rock Hill Sports and Events Center. It’s been looped in ever since. So, we came to our headquarters in Rock Hill, we came to our manufacturing center in Rock Hill.”
Here in the capital, Experience Colombia’s Kelly Barbray said the region is expected to welcome 15.8 million tourists in 2022, with more to come once the latest statistics are available.
“We’re very excited about the growth that’s happening here because it’s generating about $2.6 billion into the economy here in Columbia and that just contributes to the overall tourism numbers across the state,” Barbray explained. did.
Barbray said the city is a 12-month destination in Colombia, and hotel occupancy rates and average daily hotel room rates remain fairly constant throughout the year.
“It feels good,” Thompson laughed. “Just don’t kick us out.”
Gov. McMaster spoke at an event Monday, saying the state is “first in everything we want to be first.”
McMaster says South Carolina is thriving because of its top three industries: recreation and tourism, manufacturing, and agribusiness.
“They’re all rapidly growing in billions of dollars. And if we don’t have all of them, we can’t maintain balance. Most states don’t. South Carolina has , there are things they just dream about elsewhere,” McMaster said. “We aim to win every race and we want our children to grow up and be happy and prosperous.”
According to SCDPT, Parrish said the agency has awarded more than $3 million to local destinations for new sporting event recruitment through the Sports Tourism Advertising and Recruitment (STAR) grant program.
Parrish detailed that the 132 events supported through the program include “from collegiate softball, baseball and basketball championships to international powerhouse competitions and the World Cornhole Championship.”
Parrish also highlighted the Undiscovered SC program, which supports local governments in developing publicly-owned tourist attractions.
When it comes to such “undiscovered” areas, Parrish says a few come to mind.
“You think of the equestrian markets in Aiken and Camden,” Parrish said. “Tourism is happening across the state, in South Carolina, in Greenville, in Columbia, but beyond that, in those smaller cities… along the coast, in Beaufort, in Georgetown, in smaller cities, in other areas. As you may know, there aren’t too many people, so there are plenty of places to go outside of the big destinations in the state.
Looking to the future, Parrish said he is optimistic that the tourism industry will continue to grow.
“Airplane takeoffs in calendar year 2023 increased by 10% compared to the previous year. Emissions tax collections increased by an incredible 17% in the first 10 months of this year,” Parrish elaborated. Did. “Summer is looking great and gas prices are holding steady. Inflation seems to have calmed down a bit. People have been enjoying outdoor recreation more than ever since COVID-19, and that continues to be the case. There’s a lot of that going on in South Carolina. We’re expecting a great summer, frankly.”
