2020 Visit Myrtle Beach Annual Report

2020

ANNUAL REPORT

Table of Contents KEY TOURISM METRICS, pg. 4 VISITORS INSIGHTS, pg. 6 GROUP SALES PERFORMANCE, pg. 8

BY THE NUMBERS, pg. 10 2020 ACCOLADES & AWARDS, pg. 12 AIR SERVICE, pg. 14 2020 BOARD OF DIRECTORS, pg. 15

TO OUR MYRTLE BEACH AREA Tourism Industry Partners This past year will be forever remembered as a year like no other.

The pandemic shut down the world. Hotels were closed for almost two months, events were cancelled, and many of our attractions were closed most of the year. Tourism is the economic lifeblood of the Myrtle Beach area providing $7 billion in economic impact throughout our 14 communities. It was critical that we not let the circumstances of the pandemic cripple our tourism industry.

The Myrtle Beach Area CVB team responded quickly with the Ready, Set, Go Tourism Recovery Marketing Strategy, designed to keep awareness and interest high in the destination and then invite visitors back responsibly when they were ready. This approach positioned Myrtle Beach for a strong resurgence beginning in May 2020.

The Beach’s resiliency is shown in the numbers. Myrtle Beach led the way in Google Search demand among our competitive set, as well as booking demand in the United States in 2020. Our tax collections indicate a better year than expected considering the pandemic. The City of Myrtle Beach Tourism Development Fee collections were down about 14 percent from the previous year. You’ll find some key performance indicators for 2020 in this annual report, and later this spring, we’ll have an update on 2020 visitation numbers.

We are exceptionally thankful for our many community partners who worked tirelessly to restart our tourism engine and made the many adjustments needed, such as new safety protocols. We will continue to drive recovery for the destination by launching a refreshed Visit Myrtle Beach brand and use data and insights to shape and optimize our creative marketing decisions. Even though the pandemic had a profound impact on tourism, Myrtle Beach is well positioned for a strong recovery in 2021.

This year has taught us that we are all in this together – and we are making a difference for our community on the national, state, and local levels. With our unwavering belief in The Beach, we will continue to promote sunny days ahead.

Thank you for all you do to support the marketing of the Myrtle Beach destination.

Sincerely,

Karen Riordan President and CEO Myrtle Beach Area Convention & Visitor Bureau MYRTLE BEACH AREA CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU |

2020 ANNUAL REPORT

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IMPACT

Helped create $21 MILLION IN REVENUE through direct and influenced bookings, as well as INTRODUCED 23 MILLION new travelers to partners during the pandemic through enhanced TIP partner benefits.

Advocacy

24,176,839 travelers introduced $5,138,689 in revenue

Discovery

368,110 conversations started with planners $5,414,920 in revenue

VMB Marketing

$11,270,812 Total revenue driven by VMB website $3,919,358 direct $7,351,454 influenced

KEY TOURISM M4etrics2

39+61 37% 39 G E N E R AT E D

FIRST TIME VISITATION IN 2019

C R E AT E D

$244 REVENUE PER MARKETING DOLLAR INVESTED IN 2019

#1

R E S U LT I N G

$4B

IN EXPENDITURES IN 2019

1%

ANNUAL VISITOR VOLUME GROWTH IN 2019

G E N E R AT E D

AMONG COMP SET IN 2019 AND 2020 GOOGLE SEARCH DEMAND

2.2B

IMPRESSIONS VALUED AT $139 MILLION IN 2020

2020 NUMBERS WILL BE AVAILABLE IN SUMMER 2021

MYRTLE BEACH AREA CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU |

2020 ANNUAL REPORT

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VISITORS I2nsights

5+5+67911131619M

Philadelphia-Wilmington-Atlantic City, PA-DE-MD-NJ Columbia, SC

Charlotte-GastoniaRock Hill, NC-SC

Atlanta, GA New YorkNorthern New Jersey-Long Island, NY-NJ-CTPA GreenvilleSpartanburgAnderson, SC

Domestic Visa Spending Top MSAs

WashingtonBaltimore, DC-MD-VA-WV

(Jul-Sep, 2019)

Wilmington, NC

Greensboro-Winston Salem-High Point, NC

Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill, NC

Top 10 Visiting States During Summer

% of Total Visitors

30

20

10

0

SC

NC

VA

OH

GA

PA

MD

TN

FL

WV

22+9+12131416M 28+37+139M 18+7+3270M

Summer Visitor Profile 65+ •

• <18

55-64 •

Age

• 18-24

• 25-34

45-54 •

• 35-44

$150K •

• $0-29K

$100-149K •

Income

$75-99K

•

• $30-74K

• African American

• Asian

Race

• Hispanic • Other

White •

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2020

GROUP SALES PERFORMANCE GOAL

ACTUAL

52

30

50

SITE VISITS & FAM TOURS TRADE SHOWS

4

TARGETED SALES MISSION DEFINITE ROOM NIGHTS GENERATED 103,183 rooms canceled GROUP LEADS GENERATED

January 6-10, 2020 Sports Express

56 1

282,000

180,488

775

426

Trade Shows

August 10, 2020 Beach Destinations and Resorts

January 10-14, 2020 American Bus Association (ABA)

August 17-19, 2020 Connect Marketplace - Sports

January 29-February 1, 2020 SCSAE Trade Show and Sales Calls

August 23-25, 2020 - Destinations Southeast

February 2-5, 2020 - ITTA Summit

October 4-6, 2020 - Small Market Meetings

February 4-6, 2020 - Destination Showcase

October 19-21, 2020 Connect Marketplace - Association

February 4-6, 2020 - RCMA Emerge

October 19-21, 2020 - Connect Faith

February 19-21, 2020 - Connect Diversity

October 19-21, 2020 Connect Marketplace-Specialty

March 2-5, 2020 Rendezvous South w/ Convention Center March 8-11, 2020 - Travel South Domestic March 16-19, 2020 - CMCA April 20-23, 2020 Sports ETA Annual Meeting & Symposium June 13-21, 2020 Travel Alliance Partnership (TAP) June 15-18, 2020 - CVENT Connect July 12-15, 2020 - Spotlight on the Southeast August 5,2020 - The New CVB

October 19-22, 2020 TEAMS Conference & Olympic SportsLink October 26-29, 2020 Brand USA Global Marketplace November 8-11, 2020 Ontario Motorcoach Association (OMCA) November 11-14, 2020 Spotlight on the Mid-Atlantic November 15-18, 2020 - MeetingsToday Live Virtual

PLAY IT SAFE

in Myrtle Beach Covid-19 recovery group Toolkit In 2020 the group sales division developed a new section on VisitMyrtleBeach.com that features updated information on coming to the Grand Strand area. This proactive approach helped groups plan out how they could still plan a visit during a pandemic and be safe.

THIS TOOL KIT CONTAINED: • Area Quick Facts • GBAC Star Accredited Facilities • Ideas for groups to enjoy our many outdoor options while social distancing • Myrtle Beach Accommodations/Social Distancing/Capacity Charts • Industry Resources for Planning Responsible Events • Rideshare, Taxi, Limousine and Bus Services Clean Initiatives • Recent Local & State Executive Orders • Covid-19 Testing Locations • Downloadable Visit Responsibly – Graphic Assets Myrtle Beach International Airport and the Myrtle Beach Convention Center achieved the GBAC STAR Facility Accreditation by fulfilling stringent protocols for cleaning, disinfection and infectious disease prevention in their facilities.

MYRTLE BEACH AREA CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU |

2020 ANNUAL REPORT

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BY THE N4umbers2

$11.4B 2020 Gross Retail Sales for Horry County, Down 7% YOY

$27.4M Tourism Development Fee Collections, Down 14% YOY

42%

Average Occupancy in 2020, Down 27% YOY

2020 GROSS ANNUAL S4ales FOR HORRY COUNTY SPECIFIC TOURISM INDUSTRY SECTORS

$842M

$1.29B

Source: State A-Tax revenues

LODGING

RESTAURANTS

$3.04B

$985M

RETAIL STORES

$543.9M

GAS STATIONS

SUPERMARKETS

$150.5M

AMUSEMENTS

$33.6M

GOLF/COUNTRY CLUBS Source: SC Department of Revenue

MYRTLE BEACH AREA CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU |

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2020 ACCOLADES & AWARDS HIGHLIGHTS CONVENTION SOUTH MAGAZINE 2020 READER’S CHOICE AWARD WINNER ANNOUNCED BUSINESS INSIDER MYRTLE BEACH ONE OF 10 MOST POPULAR PLACES ON VRBO TO RENT A HOME FOR JULY 4TH TRIPS DISCOVER MYRTLE BEACH #7 ON LIST OF 12 BEST PLACES IN THE U.S. TO TRAVEL WITH YOUR DOG BEST CITIES MYRTLE BEACH #9 ON AMERICA’S 100 BEST SMALL CITIES U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT MYRTLE BEACH #10 ON LIST OF 16 TOP EAST COAST BEACHES TO VISIT

SOUTHERN LIVING MYRTLE BEACH INCLUDED AS ONE OF THE BEST DESTINATIONS FOR A GIRLS GETAWAY POPSUGAR MYRTLE BEACH #3 ON LIST OF 10 CITIES THAT PROVIDE AFFORDABLE SPRING BREAKS TRIPS LIVEABILITY GO THERE: A TREASURE HUNTER’S GUIDE TO MYRTLE BEACH, SC TRIPADVISOR TOP 25 BEACHES UNITED STATES TRAVEL + LEISURE 10 CHEAP BEACH VACATIONS THE WHOLE FAMILY WILL LOVE

POPSUGAR 13 FAMILY SPRING BREAK DESTINATIONS THAT WILL ONLY GET BETTER IN 2020 NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC 5 SURPRISING WAYS TO CELEBRATE GARDENS THIS SPRING FOX NEWS BUSINESS THESE BEACH VACATIONS ARE CHEAP AND HAVE SOMETHING FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY TRAVELPULSE AMERICA’S BEST BEACHES TO VISIT THIS SUMMER

GOLFDIGEST 9 GOLF TRIPS WE’RE DREAMING OF TAKING THIS WINTER BUSINESS JET TRAVELER 13 BEST U.S. BOTANICAL GARDENS AARP 8 SPECTACULAR HOLIDAY LIGHTS DISPLAYS AROUND THE COUNTRY U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT THE 15 BEST CHRISTMAS LIGHTS DISPLAYS IN THE U.S.

TRAVELPULSE TOP 10 DESTINATIONS CAMPERS ARE BOOKING THIS FALL

MYRTLE BEACH AREA CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU |

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MYRTLE BEACH INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

Air Service

ANNUAL DEPLANEMENTS 2012-2020

1,500,000

1,200,000

900,000

600,000

300,000

0

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

UP TO 50 NON-STOP FLIGHTS

THANK YOU

2020 MBACC

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Board of Directors

STEVE MAYS, Founders Golf International, Chair of the Board MATT KLUGMAN, Vacation Myrtle Beach, Immediate Past Chair of the Board CLAY BRITTAIN, Brittain Resorts & Hotels JAMIE BROADHURST, Century 21 Broadhurst & Associates STUART BUTLER, Fuel Travel PABLO CHAVEZ, Ripley’s Aquarium & Attractions TRACY CONNER, Myrtle Beach Golf Course Owners Association KENNY GENERETTE, Horry County Schools MIKE HAGG, HTC RADHA HERRING, Watermark Realty ALEX HUSNER, Condo World THERESA KOREN, Oceana Resorts O’NEIL MCCOY, McGriff Insurance Services SETH MCCOY, Burroughs & Chapin BILLY MCGONIGAL, Best Western Ocean Sands RYAN MOORE, Myrtle Beach Pelicans JOHN ROWE, South Atlantic Bank JOHN RUTENBERG, TD Bank SAMANTHA SLAPNIK, Liberty Tax Service ROBERT STINNETT, WonderWorks ATIYA STOKES-BROWN, Coastal Carolina University AMY STEVENS, Tidelands Health ALICIA THOMPSON, Burr & Forman TOM TSE, Myrtle Beach Seaside Resorts BEN VUKOV, Croissants Bistro & Bakery/Hook & Barrel

MYRTLE BEACH AREA CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU |

2020 ANNUAL REPORT

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MYRTLE BEACH AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE MYRTLE BEACH AREA CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU

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