The top tourism event in the state of South Carolina is right in our backyard. As I blogged about recently, our SC vacation rentals are part of a huge $22.6 billion industry in the state. The powers-that-be announced the news at a recent statewide tourism conference in Columbia. The numbers show tourism is big business, indeed. By staying in here, you and a large group of your friends and family can experience one of the best destinations anywhere - Charleston. Our vacation homes are oceanfront or close to it, so you can also have the experience of a proper beach vacation while you’re at it. Also coming out of that same conference: the top tourism event/initiative in the entire state of South Carolina is also located right here. They tapped the Cooper River Bridge Run as big winner of the conference, taking home the Governor’s Cup for the top tourism event of the year. You can read more from the Post & Courier.
CRBR: the state’s top tourist event
The Cooper River Bridge Run has been a favorite for decades. It draws people from across the planet to run across one of Charleston’s great rivers. It has become the third-largest 10K in the United States. It’s seen a lot of growth in its lifespan. The first year saw 7,400 finishers. 2006 saw a whopping 33,700 folks finishing the run/walk. This year marks the 42nd running of the race, which will take place Saturday, April 6th. It’s traditionally one of the most popular weekends for tourists in the Charleston and Isle of Palms area. One of our homes makes a great home base for race weekend, with gourmet kitchens in which to carb up, stretches of beach to warm up on, and expansive decks and pools to relax after the race. If you are interested in a that weekend, do call us at EP as soon as possible. That weekend has several other events going on as well. Summerville’s three-day Flowertown Festival will draw a lot of folks.
Most folks come “from off” to this gigantic top tourism event
The Cooper River Bridge Run is popular with locals. But get this: 60% of participants come from out of town for the event. The CRBR and all its ancillary events have an annual economic impact of around $30 million. You still have time to register online, although you have missed the early registration discounts. The official CRBR website has all the details. This year, there are medals for all finishers. There’s also a nifty Active Experience app which allows you to track race participants, among several other nifty features. So get those running shoes and muscles ready for the top tourism event in South Carolina. All best, Lowcountry Lisa your Isle of Palms vacation blogger