2015 -2016
ANNUAL TOURISM REPORT #myYCcstory
MESSAGE FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
CONTENTS
OUR MISSION
To create a thriving travel and tourism economy in York County, South Carolina.
Every day presents an opportunity to Create Your Story in York County,
Message from the Executive Director. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
South Carolina. What makes our community stand out is none other than its
2015–16 Highlights. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
weekend and decided to stay a lifetime.
Southern hospitality. You’re more than likely to meet people who came for a
Sports Tourism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
OUR VISION
We’re different. We have something special and we have something to share with those who get off the road most traveled and find a place full of
Meetings & Conferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
history, heritage, outdoor recreation, nature, and so much more.
Group Tours. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Communications. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-9
Adventure is driven by your curiosity to explore and moments that will
Leisure Travel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
at Carowinds Amusement and Water Park, the battlefields at Historic
inspire you to seek out everything from the world’s fastest giga coaster
STRATEGIC PLAN
Brattonsville and Kings Mountain National Military Park, or watching world-
Meet the Rock Hill/York County CVB Staff. . . . . . . . . . . 11
Every tourism experience is so exciting that it must be shared.
class athletes compete in a cycling challenge at the Novant Health BMX
This year, the CVB staff has completed a Destination
Supercross Track.
Marketing & Sales Plan Locally-owned craft breweries sprinkle the county, along with local farms
designed to help staff set
where visitors can enjoy a traditional balance of a laid back pace or taste the fullness of southern dishes that serve up a delightful culinary experience.
marketing & sales goals and action plans for the coming
York County is packed with personality. The Catawba Indian Nation is the
year. The 2016-2017 plan has
only federally recognized Native-American tribe in South Carolina.
been completed by the CVB
Culture permeates throughout our community. The county hosts nationally-
staff, reviewed and approved
acclaimed touring shows, concerts, and art exhibits. Visitors can also catch
by the Rock Hill/York County
homegrown talent at local theatres and music venues.
Board of Commissioners.
York County sits at the intersection of North Carolina and South Carolina. We are an easy 10-minute drive from Charlotte, North Carolina. Beautiful year round temperatures make it a perfect place to visit any time of the year. Yours in travel and tourism,
Lisa Meadows, Executive Director Rock Hill/York County Convention & Visitors Bureau
2 | 2015-2016 Annual Tourism Report ∙ Rock Hill/York County, SC
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(888) 702-1320
2015-2016 Annual Tourism Report ∙ Rock Hill/York County, SC | 3
2015–16 HIGHLIGHTS
#myYCstory
SPORTS TOURISM
Direct Economic Impact in York County
HIGHLIGHTS
92,463
The Rock Hill/York County CVB sports staff recruited and
HOTEL ROOM NIGHTS
assisted with 32 sports events held in the Rock Hill and
$7.4M
York County area during the 2015-2016 fiscal year. These 32 sports events brought in an astounding $7.4 million
Direct Economic Impact
economic impact to our local community. This generated a record high of over 15,000 hotel room nights for the year.
$14.4M
76,821
efforts as a premier amateur sports destination.
32
Partnerships Strengthened
64
470K
Total Attendance
throughout the year to further expand the CVB’s message and recruiting
DIRECT ECONOMIC IMPACT
EVENT ATTENDANCE
57,909
Our staff attended over 10 sports specific trade shows and conventions
Sporting Events
The CVB secured several new sports events to the area that will take place in the coming years. Many of these events were obtained because of the great
EVENTS BOOKED
partnerships and collaborations with Winthrop University and both the Rock Hill and Fort Mill school districts. The CVB will also continue other partnerships
BROCHURES GIVEN
111,098 WEBSITE VISITORS
through existing events that include the Greater Palmetto YMCA, the City of Rock Hill, Clover and York school districts and Ebenezer Park.
15,819
Total Room Nights
Basketball and Track & Field Lead the Way With eight (8) events combined and $1.3 million in economic impact alone, basketball and track & field are two sports that are definitely in the fast lane
60
PUBLISHED STORIES
to produce even higher scores for York County tourism. Our area is diverse in its sports events throughout the year; thus, making York County the logical destination for many teams, coaches, their families and fans.
$46K
A Look Ahead
TOURISM INCOME
The Rock Hill/York County CVB recruited its largest sports client to date during the 2015-2016 fiscal year. The CVB was awarded a two-year deal with
Q3 Financial Year 15’ - 16’ Numbers.
Football University, which begins during the 2016-2017 fiscal year.
Amount Not Final
Planning is already underway for those events. Source: South Carolina Parks, Recreation & Tourism Dept. (Tourism Income) and Rock Hill / York County CVB
4 | 2015-2016 Annual Tourism Report ∙ Rock Hill/York County, SC
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(888) 702-1320
2015-2016 Annual Tourism Report ∙ Rock Hill/York County, SC | 5
#myYCstory
#myYCstory
GROUP TOURS
MEETINGS & CONFRENCES HIGHLIGHTS
HIGHLIGHTS
During the 2015-2016 fiscal year,
The Rock Hill/York County CVB
Winthrop University, the AME
continued to see growth and
Zion Transformation Center, the Hood Center, and several hotels accounted for the growth of meetings and conferences in York County. The Rock Hill/York County CVB recorded highs in
$1,023,614 Direct Economic Impact
8,406
Total Attendance
$459,553 Direct Economic Impact
10,506 Total Attendance
Our continued partnership with local educational institutions, corporations, churches, and associations will increase our opportunity to host more conferences and meetings in York County.
Meetings that Empower With a presidential election in full swing during the 2015-2016 fiscal year,
tour market this fiscal year. This success was largely due to the amazing partnerships that the CVB has with local attractions. The CVB hosted 300 groups, 10,000 attendees, and brought
economic impact, hotel room nights, and total attendance.
many successes in the group
26
Meetings and Conferences
3,218
Total Room Nights
347
Group Tours
745
in nearly half a million dollars in economic impact.
Creating Stories in York County Our snack bag program contributes greatly to the continued effort to drive repeat business. The program also allows the Rock Hill/York County CVB to partner with attractions in the tracking of out-of-town groups.
Total Room Nights
Winthrop University, the South Carolina Democratic Party, and the Rock Hill/
The end goal for the CVB is to generate repeat business and convert day
York County CVB joined efforts to bring the Democratic Presidential Forum
trippers and overnight groups to longer stays than in previous trips. These
to Rock Hill, SC. This opportunity generated nearly 4,000 attendees, live
tactics include sending various itineraries with multiple day trip options,
coverage from MSNBC, and appearances by presidential candidates Hillary
providing hotel rates for groups to event coordinators and creating cost
Clinton, Bernie Sanders, and Martin O’Malley.
efficient ways to extend their tours.
Meetings that Unite
The CVB will continue to increase the number of attractions participating in the snack bag program. Not only will the program include attractions, but will also
This year, the Rock Hill/York County CVB also fostered a partnership with
be offered to restaurants, hotels and other entities that receive group travelers.
a new meetings facility. Due to the recent construction of the AME Zion
Joint tradeshow efforts and increased partner participation will continue to
Transformation Center, the Rock Hill/York County CVB partnered with
grow the group tour market throughout the southeast and country wide.
the center to host two of the AME Zion Church’s national meetings. These meetings combined brought in over $200,000 of economic impact, 900 room nights, and representatives from throughout the country, also including the Caribbean and Africa.
6 | 2015-2016 Annual Tourism Report ∙ Rock Hill/York County, SC
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(888) 702-1320
2015-2016 Annual Tourism Report ∙ Rock Hill/York County, SC | 7
#myYCstory
COMMUNICATIONS
Storytelling The communications staff continues to work with York County tourism partners to share the #myYCstory worldwide. This year, we generated media coverage from local and regional media outlets during the CVB Brand Reveal Party. The media coverage included: an appearance on WBTV Bounce PM, WBTV (11pm) news, spotlight interview on CN2, The Herald, Your YC (blog), Low Country BizSC, and mentions in the Destination Marketing Association International (DMAI) and the Southeast Tourism Society (STS) newsletters.
2015-2016 FISCAL YEAR OUTCOME
The CVB’s communications efforts continue to evolve and advance to reflect today’s new trends and current technology, which help to boost communications and marketing outcomes. In 2015, the CVB staff worked with The Brandon Agency (TBA) to launch its new brand message and identity. The CVB carried out various phases of the rebrand. This year, all campaigns (online marketing) outperformed industry standards based on click through rate, and the overall cost per lead was $1.18.
60
Stories Published
111,098 Website Hits
In addition to media coverage for the new brand we also... • Coordinated and assisted the series
the U.S. in partnership with SCPRT
Media; an international film crew from
for Juneteenth Rock Hill, Inc., the
and Pineapple Media.
the United Kingdom with the filming
SC Ag + Art Tour, Life of Impact
of Paul and Nick’s Big American
Leadership Experience/Riley’s Catch
Food Trip.
to name a few.
• Partnered with various local festivals/
staff has worked consistently with an agency on the strategic direction of the CVB’s social media and website campaigns. The communications staff also led a subcommittee made up of a few members from the CVB board to create ways to enhance the website, mobile app, and its social presence by obtaining sponsorships, featured listings, partnerships, etc. The committee has since:
•
The CVB added Instagram to its social media community and tracked a 53% increase to its Pinterest followers within the first six months of the new fiscal year. The Visit York County, SC mobile travel app also saw growth during this fiscal year.
•
Facebook saw a 96% increase; 15,321 average # of monthly page likes; total # of fans gained was 7,505 (625 average # of fans monthly); THE CVB REACHED 20,000 FANS AT THE END OF JULY!!
Government offices and website. Made deliveries to various partner sites to have the 7x5 mobile app signs placed to generate local and visitor downloads.
•
Coordinated community outreach efforts to various municipalities to seek support and awareness of the mobile app.
•
Implemented a Yelp integration to power the dining sections of the website and mobile app.
inquiries from Charlotte Happenings
• On behalf of the SC Ag + Art Tour,
Constitution to provide story ideas
tours and (sporting) events to assist
the CVB staff wrote a small grant
and/or images for stories that
with additional communications/
and was awarded $1,000 by the Arts
focused on York County, SC.
publicity efforts.
Council of York County.
Mobile App Sessions
•
• Worked with writers on media magazine and Atlanta Journal
Online Marketing Analytics
Since launching the CVB’s new brand message/identity, the communications
Increased awareness of the mobile app by leading in the development of a Resolution to have the mobile app featured/listed in all York County
• Attended media missions throughout
interviews and media appearances
14,079
Social Media
•
• Wrote media releases, coordinated
producer and film crew from Waddell
•
Twitter saw a 144% increase; 187 average # of monthly followers.
•
Mobile App saw 29% increase of sessions: 113 average # of new users monthly.
1,352
This fiscal year, the Rock Hill/York County CVB participated in the SCPRT co-op for leisure advertising. SCPRT’s advertising goals primarily focused on SC attractions that are “off-the-
New App Users
beaten path.” Those goals were in line with the CVB’s tourism advertising objective to expand economic benefits to York County and its “off-the-beaten path,” undiscovered areas by
19,342
increasing overall interest in visitation and visitor spending. The CVB’s digital media tactics served more than 3.4 million impressions to York County’s target audience resulting in a 0.26% click through rate (nearly 3x industry standard).
Facebook Fans
Stay Up to date Download the Visit York County, SC App
Year Comparison Website hits – 44% increase; 111,098 total hits from July 1, 2015 – June 30, 2016 which averages 9,258 hits to the website monthly. Search Engine Optimization - 60% growth of organic/natural traffic (compared to July – March last fiscal year)
*Not a direct outcome of committee work
8 | 2015-2016 Annual Tourism Report ∙ Rock Hill/York County, SC
visityorkcounty.com
(888) 702-1320
2015-2016 Annual Tourism Report ∙ Rock Hill/York County, SC | 9
BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
#myYCstory
LEISURE TRAVEL
MEET THE ROCK HILL / YORK COUNTY CVB STAFF
Andrea Cooper Comporium Communications (Secretary)
YORK COUNTY VISITORS CENTER ACTUAL
Tourism Outlook The Rock Hill/York County CVB, York County Partners In Tourism, and the local chapter of the SC Restaurant and Lodging Association co-sponsored an outlook on tourism in York County, SC in September 2015. Guest speakers from the SC Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism, SC Restaurant and Lodging Association and the York County Hospitality Tax Committee presented to the group the benefits of using partnerships to gain an advantage in the tourism industry.
Brian Davis Community Volunteer
23,528
4,170
JoAnna DiPastena
2,752
9,884
Rogers Grading, Inc.
Brochures Requested from VisitYorkCounty.com
Walk-in Traffic
5,662
Telephone Inquiries
‘Move to York County, SC’
Community Volunteer
Visitors Guide Distribution at SC Welcome Centers
York County Hotel Brochure Distribution
467
David Grigg
Rebekah Ardis
Sonja Burris
Finance & Administration Manager
Communications Director
Laurie Helms City of Rock Hill/Parks, Recreation & Tourism
Dan Holmes
Relocation Fulfillments
Towne Tavern (Fort Mill/Rock Hill)
With the intense relocation growth of York County, the CVB began working on ‘Move to York County, SC,’ a new relocation
LEISURE TRAVEL MARKET SALES ACTUAL
Julia Jordan AVP Nationwide
initiative that will include a detailed York County, SC road map, a published relocation guide, and website. A Relocation Summit was held in March 2016 that informed area Chambers of Commerce, Economic Development representatives, and various other stakeholders of a new initiative to gain support, as well as to inform them on how tourism plays a major role in local economic development. The detailed road map and relocation guide are in the initial phases and will be unveiled in the 2016-2017 budget year.
New Municipality Visitor Map
Productions
72,681 Room Nights
Allison Cleveland
Andy Clinton
Tourism Administrator
Group/Sports Market Specialist
Jason LaBarge HP Hotels (past chair)
$5,523,756
Tim Longmire
Estimated Economic Impact
Community Volunteer (Treasurer)
3
Ron Miller
Advertising Partnerships With York County Attractions
Family Trust Federal Credit Union
(Historic Brattonsville, York County Waterways and Kings Mountain State and National parks)
The Rock Hill/York County CVB researched and produced a City of Tega Cay map that highlights 18 visitor attractions and points of interest. This new map will compliment the additional maps
322,465
David L. Roberts
Total Exposures To Billboard Ads
that are utilized by the Visitors Center for the City of Rock Hill, City of York, Town of Fort Mill, Town of Clover, and the Carowinds Boulevard/Lake Wylie Area maps.
Joint Attraction Brochure Due to the high demand of the Kings Mountain State & National Military Parks brochure a reprint was required. This brochure features educational opportunities, park amenities and a joint trail map highlighting levels of difficulty. This popular piece is the 2nd most requested brochure behind the York County Visitor Guide.
10 | 2015-2016 Annual Tourism Report ∙ Rock Hill/York County, SC
Auvis Cole
Lisa Meadows
Sales Director
Executive Director
Roberts Reality
Gene Roper Leroy Springs & Company, Inc.
LEAD GENERATION INQUIRIES AAA Go Magazine (Carolinas): 1,295 Leads Fulfilled Escape to the Southeast: 199 Leads Fulfilled Madden Media: 9,371 Leads Fulfilled
Strauss Moore Shiple Olde English District Tourism Commission (Chair)
Top 5 States Requesting Visitor Information: North Carolina
Accredited Destination Marketing Organization 2013 – 2016
South Carolina New York Ohio
Caitlin Totherow Catawba Indian Cultural Center
Florida
Trina Ricks
Interfuse: 3,155 Leads Fulfilled
Visitor Center Specialist (part-time)
visityorkcounty.com
(888) 702-1320
Charles Wood Community Volunteer
2015-2016 Annual Tourism Report ∙ Rock Hill/York County, SC | 11
Clover Fort Mill Hickory Grove L a ke Wy l i e McConnells Rock Hill Sharon Smyrna Te g a C a y Yo r k
F O R M O R E I N F O R M AT I O N
Rock Hill/York County CVB 375 South Anderson Rd, Rock Hill, SC 29730 (888) 702 1320 • visityorkcounty.com
Information shared in this publication covers July 1, 2015–June 30, 2016