The latest numbers have been crunched, and SC tourism is a huge, and rapidly growing, industry. Judging by the popularity of our Isle of Palms luxury rentals, we figured things were looking pretty good. After all, they are in high demand. The fact that the Holy City has found itself atop so many “best of” lists has made them a hot commodity. But honestly, we had no idea it was THIS popular. Tourism in the state of South Carolina is big business, indeed. The economic impact of tourism in the state: a whopping $22.6 billion! What’s more, that’s a major increase over the previous year. A $1.4 billion increase, to be exact. It’s the sixth year in a row of record-breaking numbers for SC tourism. South Carolina’s Director of Parks, Recreation & Tourism, Duane Parrish, announced the numbers at the Governor’s Conference on Tourism and Travel, which kicked off yesterday in Columbia. U.S. Representative Jim Clyburn noted that South Carolina’s economy used to be driven by textiles and tobacco. He pointed out that now the main forces are two other “T’s” - tourism, and transportation. The word is definitely out about South Carolina in general, and Charleston to be specific.
SC Tourism: Park numbers also look great
There is good news where South Carolina’s State Park Service is concerned, as well. Their annual revenue also set a new record, totaling more than $30 million. In another indicator of progress and economic health, they announced that the SC Park Service is almost completely self-sufficient, covering 99% of its costs. This is up from just 73% ten years ago. We are located near some of the most naturally gorgeous and well designed parks imaginable. It’s yet another good reason to stay in one of our South Carolina vacation rentals. You can read the whole story on the front page of today’s Post & Courier, or online here.
SC tourism: if you’re coming to visit, why not stay in the safest city in the state?
In more good news… a recent study analyzed the safest cities in the state of South Carolina. Guess what - our Isle of Palms luxury rentals are located in the safest one of all. The study, conducted by Safewise, analyzed FBI crime report statistics and population data. They came up with a list of the top 20 safest cities in the state of South Carolina. #1 on the list is our own Isle of Palms, with 0% violent crimes per 1,000 people. Read more about it here. Or watch the video on YouTube. So when you are looking to stay in South Carolina, why not play it safe and choose the Isle of Palms? Just give us a call at EP and we’ll help you find the perfect place. All best, Lowcountry Lisa your Isle of Palms vacation blogger