Myrtle Beach, South Carolina Information DirectoryS.C. works to draw overseas tourists By Bruce Smith The Associated Press CHARLESTON - Vicki and James Smith are the kind of new visitors South Carolina is working hard to attract. They have never been to the state before, they are affluent and they have soft British accents. The state's $15 billion tourism industry, the largest industry in South Carolina, wants to draw more international travelers to a state offering mountain vistas, sandy beaches, Charleston's historic homes and more. "It's an attractive segment of the market," said Chad Prosser, director of the state Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism. "They tend to stay longer and spend more. And currently, the exchange rates are in their favor so it's a real bargain." |
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The Smiths, from Guernsey, England, spent most of two weeks at a spa on Hilton Head Island then visited Savannah, Ga., before driving up to Charleston. Smith, a retired businessman, and his wife have visited the U.S. numerous times but it was their first visit to South Carolina. "Everyone told us, who had been, 'That's lovely. Go and you'll enjoy it,'" said Vicki Smith during an interview on the Club Level of the Charleston Place Hotel, where rooms go for $419 to $599 a night. "The South has a mystique of its own," her husband added. "It's the first time we have been to the real South. We have been to Florida, but that isn't the real South." The culture, the history and the historic homes attracted the Smiths to Charleston. "We haven't really come for a beach vacation because it's a lot cheaper to go to Spain or someplace like that," James Smith added. South Carolina attracted 32.5 million visitors last year. But only about 1 million were foreign visitors and of that number, about 750,000 were Canadians, who generally drive to the state. Of the rest, the largest number came from the United Kingdom, followed by Germany, France, Scandinavia and Ireland. Most had made previous trips to the U.S. visiting places such as New York, Orlando, Fla., or Los Angeles. The state works to attract foreign visitors on a second or third visit, said Gary Edwards, managing director of Coastal South Carolina USA, the industry consortium promoting the state's coast abroad. Foreign visitors spend about 10 days in the state, about twice what Americans do, Edwards said. About 20 percent of foreign visitors to the state were also making their first visit to the country drawn by the dozens of golf courses along the coast. Then there are historic attractions such as Fort Sumter, where the Civil War began, and antebellum plantations along the Ashley River. "Our culture, the whole deal of the South is what catches them - that sort of 'Gone With the Wind' feeling," Prosser said. The interaction with nature and the pristine ACE Basin refuge south of Charleston and the Francis Marion National Forest north of the city are all draws. There is also Southern hospitality. "You do make us feel very welcome," Vicki Smith said. She added that while the couple has never had any arguments traveling in the U.S., "I would say you are warmer down here." Getting more foreign visitors depends on air service, said Brad Dean, president and chief executive of the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce. The state's two U.S. senators are working to get Myrtle Beach designated a port of entry, making it easier for visitors to fly directly to the city. Although Myrtle Beach is known for T-shirt shops and waterslides, it appeals to foreign tourists in other ways. "Our best kept secrets are not only the abundance of golf, but Brookgreen Gardens - the sculpture garden," Dean said. "They are fascinated by American history." Coastal destinations, instead of competing as they would for American tourists, work together to market the state overseas. "They're not going to come just to Charleston. They're going to come to Charleston and Hilton Head and Myrtle Beach," said Helen Hill, the executive director of the Charleston Area Convention and Visitors Bureau. State lawmakers added $1 million more in this year's state budget for tourism marketing abroad. It has to be a joint effort, said Linn Lesesne, director of group sales for Charming Inns, which operates five historic inns in Charleston and another in Columbia. "With my budget and my size, I really can't reach them alone," she said. One of the company's properties, the John Rutledge House Inn, was home to one of the signers of the Constitution and built in 1763. European travelers seek out such properties, although "ours are new compared to what they have in Europe," Lesesne said. |
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