Shortly after S.C. Gov. Nikki Haley was elected, her “tourism czar” – S.C. Parks Recreation and Tourism (SCPRT) director Duane Parrish – promised double-digit annual growth in the state’s tourism economy. In both 2011 and 2012, though, he missed that mark.
Still, South Carolina could finally climb back out of its recessionary hole in 2013.
During the month of May, for example, its revenue per available room (or “RevPAR, the key tourism metric) grew by 7.2 percent – easily outpacing the national average of 4.7 percent, according to SCPRT. Those numbers are much better than last May’s performance – when those percentages were almost reversed.
Still, the Palmetto State’s year-to-date numbers once again trailing the national average. Through the first five months of 2013, the state has seen a modest 5 percent increase in RevPAR compared to the national growth rate of 6.3 percent.
Of course the peak tourism season has only just begun …
In 2007 South Carolina’s annual occupancy rate was 58.8 percent and its RevPAR was $51.31. Then the recession hit – which resulted in brutal years in 2009 and 2010. Last year, the occupancy rate had climbed back to 54.5 percent and RevPAR was back up to $50.99.
Almost there, right?
Yeah … but these are natural economic trends that mirror the broader economy. And we would be seeing them at work whether our state spent tens of millions of dollars annually on government-funded tourism marketing. Or not.
Translation? Government shouldn’t spend tens of millions of dollars annually on tourism marketing …
MAY 2013 TOURISM DATA
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60 comments
Looks like Haley, like many GOP governors, is showing signs of economic growth, despite Obama’s horrible national economy…good work. Thank God for Conservative, pro-American Republicans…
And the fact that Sheheen will be running w/ ObamaCare and the miserable Obama-conomy around his neck…he’s already DONE!!!…
You’d be stupid to contribute money to Sheheen. He is an Obama-Casualty…before he even begins…
A lie.
You mean thank god for Canada and Ohio..the only tourists I know that grace most of our shit beaches.
You, and FITS, are what is most disgusting. People come to SC and spend gobs on money, because of state’s natural beauty…and you’re such a miserable A-Hole, you can give credit to neither the visitors or the state..
You and FITS are the PRIME example of @$$-Backward Rednecks…You’ve never been out of your cul-d-sac, and you’re too small minded to see past your ignorant noses…
Natural beauty? Get out of the state and check out Virgina’s beaches. That’s a beach, Bitch!
Most folks in know from Virginia go to the Outer Banks……… Let alone from the entire northeastern shoreline. A shitload of the car tags are from Virginia and the rest from Maryland up to Delaware and farther up north to boot!!!
Now that is some shoreline!!!
South Carolina has nothing to compare to the Outer Banks…Nowhere even in the same league……….
It sure as changed since 1974 though….
But the OB still beats every fucking beach in South Carolina for sure!!!
Life Guard
T is correct on this. SC does have some beautiful land. I have lived all up and down the west coast and some on the MS river. Beauty is relative. That you like one over another is no cause to say that one is more so than the other.
Ever been to Death Valley or Salton Sea. Most people think of them as the armpits of the west. I don’t. There is beauty and wonder there as well. You just need to know what you’re looking at and understand your underlying perspective of the world.
Many days, rain/heat/cold/whatever, when I see people I hear them say ‘Oh, if it was just…’. That’s whiner central. God allowed me to get out of bed this morning. The rest is gravy. :)
HAGD!! :)
Natural Beauty??
I guess you are referring to the “natural beauty” that the uber-rich get to look at from their chalets at Ceasar’s Head,.Glassy Mountain or the shores of Hilton Head huh???
T is correct on this. SC does have some beautiful land. I have lived all up and down the west coast and some on the MS river. Beauty is relative. That you like one over another is no cause to say that one is more so than the other.
Ever been to Death Valley or Salton Sea. Most people think of them as the armpits of the west. I don’t. There is beauty and wonder there as well. You just need to know what you’re looking at and understand your underlying perspective of the world.
Many days, rain/heat/cold/whatever, when I see people I hear them say ‘Oh, if it was just…’. That’s whiner central. God allowed me to get out of bed this morning. The rest is gravy. :)
HAGD!! :)
Quite the wax job there, Frankie…what we drinking?
As a veteran of 3 wars, I consider every day I get up and breath a gift.
That being posted, obviously you have not been to Big Sur……………..
I have seen some pretty scenes in South Carolina like the time I was going through Graniteville REAL early in the morning and the morning mist was wafting through the trees.
There is no real difference between the natural beauty in South Carolina,Georgia or North Carolina except that North Carolina has more majestic mountains and the Outer Banks and Georgia has Atlanta.
But compared to Big Sur, South Carolina ain’t shit.
No way no how, never will be………
Like I said, …that you know what you’re looking at, and your underlying perspective of the world.
Don’t EVER call Nikki Haley conservative. She vetoed less than 1/2 of 1% of the current budget – THAT is NOT a conservative. And pro-American – all Nikki Haley knows is pro Nikki Haley.
But she does have a gorgeous ass. South Carolina voters don’t care about substance or character. Consider Mark Sanford’s recent victory.
Yeah, but it looks like her face caught fire and got beat out with a track shoe.
I think you ment generous ass! It certainly has spread since she became governor.
I still give her ass a thumbs up.
Hell, the good citizens of Myrtle Beach fork over $30,000,000 year to the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce to spend on tourist advertising with no accountability of how the monies were spent.
Nikki’s “tourism czar” is a piker compared to the MBACC and friends.
Hell, the good citizens of Myrtle Beach fork over $30,000,000 year to the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce to spend on tourist advertising with no accountability of how the monies were spent.
Nikki’s “tourism czar” is a piker compared to the MBACC and friends.
Interesting ass collection.
left – very fine but legs too fat
middle – slightly less fine but legs too fat
right – same as middle
All 3 seem to have small bosoms.
Thank you very much
Oh be kind. We all can’t have beanpole legs.
At this age, those legs are all edible and delicious. It is only in 20 years that they will morph into unsexy blubber.
Who would want bean pole legs.
How hot are you, Sweetheart?
Interesting ass collection.
left – very fine but legs too fat
middle – slightly less fine but legs too fat
right – same as middle
All 3 seem to have small bosoms.
Thank you very much
Oh be kind. We all can’t have beanpole legs.
At this age, those legs are all edible and delicious. It is only in 20 years that they will morph into unsexy blubber.
Who would want bean pole legs.
How hot are you, Sweetheart?
Did I miss the change in SC’s tourism motto to, “Come to our beaches where the fat chicks hang out”?
no, plump in the right places
Did I miss the change in SC’s tourism motto to, “Come to our beaches where the fat chicks hang out”?
no, plump in the right places
Cull factor and age are inversely proportional.
Simplified so that big idio”T” can comprehend: The older you get the harder it is to find a truly unattractive woman.
I have never seen an ugly naked woman in my bedroom! :)
Try turning on the light – you both might be surprised! Heh – Heh! Have a fun and safe day.
Cull factor and age are inversely proportional.
Simplified so that big idio”T” can comprehend: The older you get the harder it is to find a truly unattractive woman.
I have never seen an ugly naked woman in my bedroom! :)
Try turning on the light – you both might be surprised! Heh – Heh! Have a fun and safe day.
I guess if you totally eliminated DHEC’s water quality monitoring and let the “movers and shakers” of Myrtle Beach’s Chamber of Commerce engage in propaganda in lying about how much shit is in the water(per your other blog on SC shoreline pollution) you could get more folks to “come on in, the water is fine” and bump up the numbers a few points!!!!
Since it is about individual responsibility and all…………
I’m sure all those tourists from Tennessee,Kentucky,Illinois,etc. that we see headed down I-26 in Spartanburg County from exit 1 to exit 56 from May to September are to blame for the shit in the water!!!
But than again those are the people that help fill the till and keep South Carolina ahead of Mississippi……. And just barely at that!!!
What does the state of South Carolina care about them when they head back north or northwest except to say, “come back next year”!!!
There is no real pride in this state, just look at all the trash on every road even if a bunch of the residents have a “palm tree” decal on the rear window of their vehicle!!
I guess if you totally eliminated DHEC’s water quality monitoring and let the “movers and shakers” of Myrtle Beach’s Chamber of Commerce engage in propaganda in lying about how much shit is in the water(per your other blog on SC shoreline pollution) you could get more folks to “come on in, the water is fine” and bump up the numbers a few points!!!!
Since it is about individual responsibility and all…………
I’m sure all those tourists from Tennessee,Kentucky,Illinois,etc. that we see headed down I-26 in Spartanburg County from exit 1 to exit 56 from May to September are to blame for the shit in the water!!!
But than again those are the people that help fill the till and keep South Carolina ahead of Mississippi……. And just barely at that!!!
What does the state of South Carolina care about them when they head back north or northwest except to say, “come back next year”!!!
There is no real pride in this state, just look at all the trash on every road even if a bunch of the residents have a “palm tree” decal on the rear window of their vehicle!!
It doesn’t look like a South Carolina beach picture, the ocean is not “dishwater grey”!!!
It doesn’t look like a South Carolina beach picture, the ocean is not “dishwater grey”!!!
I talk to a lot of tourists here in Charleston. We seem to satisfy most of them here. However, it’s clear we’re competing against the world now, including Disneyworld.
I talk to a lot of tourists here in Charleston. We seem to satisfy most of them here. However, it’s clear we’re competing against the world now, including Disneyworld.