VISITOR SERVICES

Initiative 1: Provide an outstanding, inclusive welcome and accurate information to all people. With a heart of service, set expectations for guests, reminding them that the Charleston area is a living, breathing community.

While our mission is to promote the Charleston area, it is also our responsibility to manage the flow of visitors. Our area visitor centers allow for work that is central to tourism management efforts, which is important to the quality of life for area residents. Visitors need to understand that restroom facilities are limited in the historic district, as is parking, for example.

Each day the staff members who work in this department serve as the de facto face of our community. Whether it is the thousands of walk-ins that step through the door at each of our four locations, or the numerous phone inquiries and online chats that are fielded by our call center, the first impression that we make is vitally important to our collective industry and our region.

Initiative 2: Encourage visitors to explore the broader community. Operating visitor centers in Charleston, Mount Pleasant, North Charleston, and Kiawah Island, each day our dedicated staff excels at meeting our customers’ varied needs and expectations.

evolving programming.

Services in all visitor centers range from distributing maps, visitor guides and brochures, to assisting with same day hotel reservations and selling tickets for tours and attractions. We are proud that over 150,000 tickets to tours and attractions are sold annually via our Visitor Services locations. Our geographic footprint allows us to spread visitors throughout the community, recommending diverse itineraries, based on the travelers’ interest.

Initiative 3: Service groups, where appropriate, with mini-visitor centers.

Perhaps the most important—and unexpected—product our Visitor Services staff provides is assistance with large groups and conventions. An increasing number of associations and organizations are choosing the Charleston area for their annual meetings and conventions. Visitor Services assists by setting up onsite visitor information booths to answer questions and make other arrangements for individual attendees.

This ability to go above and beyond is now becoming the standard for the industry... and it began here.

month via phone, email and web-based live chat. From general questions on what to see and do, to serving as fact checkers, our staff relishes helping our visitors plan their trip.

However, where VIS truly shines is during an emergency by providing real-time updates on travel conditions and business closures. Whether the crisis is a hurricane, or more recently, a pandemic, VIS operators play a critically important role by gathering anddisseminating the most current information to potential travelers to our community. This is an invaluable service for many, including our municipal partners who don’t have the time or staff to answer constant inquiries of this nature, especially in the time of crisis.