The Charleston Area Convention & Visitors Bureau Q&A
Handsome Properties March 3, 2022
Handsome Properties March 3, 2022
Explore Charleston is a public-private partnership whose ultimate goal is to create an overnight visitor. We strive to unify and lead the local travel industry to promote the Charleston area as a leisure and business travel destination to domestic and international markets.
We collaborate with civic and business partners across three counties to support innovative, responsible and sustainable development through travel and tourism strategies. Community alignment and values-based marketing are core to our efforts. A successful tourism economy creates ripple effects that make our communities more vibrant, dynamic, diverse and fun places to work, visit and live.
For example, air service development is a key role we play. Options to and from Charleston International Airport used to be limited and expensive. New airlines, more nonstop destinations, and increased frequency of flights strengthen economic development efforts and improve quality of life for residents.
Tourism is one of the Charleston region’s largest and fastest-growing industries. Pre-pandemic, over 21% of all sales in Charleston County were attributed to tourism. The industry employed over 40,000 people and created an annual economic impact of over $9.6 billion for the region in 2019. Stronger tourism tax revenues mean lower property taxes for local residents, increased funds to facilitate sustainable growth and funding for public services. Successful destination marketing also attracts corporate investment.
First and foremost, we supported state and local efforts to encourage resident safety and public health. As people resumed travel, we focused on supporting our local businesses and workforce while simultaneously communicating safety protocols to visitors. In terms of destination marketing, agility was key. We shifted digital efforts to target an expanded drive market in lieu of fly markets.
And we emphasized attributes that resonate most strongly with travelers in a pandemic environment – beaches, outdoor activities, walkability, a great complement of smaller hotels and vacation rentals, etc. Certainly, the coronavirus took a dramatic toll on travel and hospitality. We are blessed that our area continues to recover much faster than many destinations over the last 18 months.
The attribute that differentiates us from any other destination in the world is our people. Our residents believe in relationships. This results in an unrivaled friendliness factor and a spirit of hospitality. Increasingly, we are viewed as a destination marketing and management organization because of our involvement in so many initiatives beyond traditional tourism marketing activities.
This includes, among other things, workforce development and education programs that address retention, recruitment, customer service training, and professional growth in our industry. Tourism is an incredibly competitive industry.
We strongly believe past success does not guarantee future prosperity. The Charleston region’s story is forever changing. It is important to proactively communicate the message of what is new and different in our region. We must remain engaged, relevant, and never forget our people are the key to our community’s success. Learn More About The Charleston Area Convention & Visitors Bureau.
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