2017 - 2018
ANNUAL TOURISM REPORT #VisitYorkCounty
BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
Meet the Visit York County Staff
Billy Bolin Mellon Insurance Solutions
Andrea Cooper C H A I R Comporium Communications
Denise Cubbedge Anne Springs Close Greenway
Brian Davis Community Volunteer
JoAnna DiPastena Community Volunteer
David Grigg Rogers Grading, Inc.
Laurie Helms S E C R E T A R Y City of Rock Hill Parks, Recreation & Tourism
Pictured (Left to Right): Andy Clinton, Brianna Francis, Jenny Waller, Billy Dunlap, Sonja Burris, Rebekah Ardis, Allison Cleveland; (not pictured: Trina Ricks)
Dan Holmes Towne Tavern Restaurants
Billy Dunlap
Andy Clinton
President/CEO
VP of Sales
Rebekah Ardis
Jenny Waller
SVP of Finance & Administration
VP of Destination Services
Sonja Burris
Brianna Francis
SVP of Marketing & Communications
Digital Communications Manager
Roberts Realty
Allison Cleveland
Trina Ricks
Dr. Tommy Schmolze
VP of Partnership & Visitor Services
Jason LaBarge HP Hotels
Tim Longmire
VICE-CHAIR
The Fillmore Charlotte
Ron Miller Family Trust Federal Credit Union
David L. Roberts T R E A S U R E R
VIsitor Center Specialist
Fort Mill School District
Strauss Moore Shiple PAST-CHAIR Olde English District Tourism Commission
Caitlin Rogers Catawba Indian Cultural Center
2 | 2017-2018 Annual Tourism Report ∙ York County, SC
visityorkcounty.com
MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT/CEO
The beautiful town of Fort Mill continues to grow by leaps and
Returning to York County was returning home for me. I was named the President/ CEO of Visit York County in late 2017 and hit the ground running in January of 2018.
bounds. Anchored by one of the top school districts in SC, Fort Mill has a revitalized downtown as well as the ever-developing Kingsley, both honoring the past while offering new and unique options for shopping and dining. Attractions like the Anne Springs Close Greenway make Fort Mill a must-stop on your way through York County.
Growing up in this area, I know what York County is all about. I know why people want to relocate here and surely know why
These communities aren’t all that York County has to offer. If you
they want to visit. York County has everything you would ever
want to get a unique taste of York County, be sure and pay a visit
want in a destination and we showcased it in 2017-2018.
to Sharon, Smyrna, Hickory Grove and McConnells. All of these communities make up the unique experience of York County.
Rock Hill continues to lead the way in sports tourism in the region. Whether it’s a softball tournament at Cherry Park or a
In 2017-2018, we launched some new initiatives. In addition to
soccer showcase at Manchester Meadows, Rock Hill paves the
relocating the York County Visitors Center to downtown Rock
way with world-class sports facilities. That bar will only continue
Hill, we launched a new staff reorganization and strengthened our
to be pushed higher with the opening of the Indoor Sports &
digital marketing presence.
Events Center coming in the spring of 2019. Partnerships are key to our organization and this past year, we Visitors to York will find the historic Sylvia Theater or they may
worked to identify new partnerships and improve existing ones.
venture out of city limits to sip on some cider from Windy Hill
Some of our key partners in 2017-2018 included the City of Rock Hill,
Orchard & Cider Mill. If it’s Clover you want to visit, make sure to
Town of Fort Mill, Winthrop University and Phenom Hoop Report.
stop by New Centre Park and cool off in the new splash pad. Bringing events to York County continues to be one of our main We celebrate with Tega Cay as they were just named the 12th
objectives. This past year, we brought in 44 sporting events
best city to live in by USA Today. A beautiful lake, an immaculate
because #ChampionsThriveHere. Some of our top events
golf course and much more awaits any visitor coming to Tega Cay.
included FBU Top Gun, Rivals Combine, QCAA Rumble and the Phenom Hoop Queen City Showcase. As we wrap up a successful 2017-2018, it’s time to broaden our reach and make 2018-2019 a year to remember. There’s no better time to “Create Your Story” in York County.
Billy Dunlap, President/CEO Rock Hill/York County Convention & Visitors Bureau
3 | 2017-2018 Annual Tourism Report ∙ York County, SC
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OUR MISSION
To create a thriving travel and tourism economy in York County, South Carolina.
2017–18 HIGHLIGHTS
Economic Impact In York County, SC York County’s Tourism Value
OUR VISION
Every tourism experience is so exciting that it must be shared.
98K
HOTEL ROOM NIGHTS
OUR PURPOSE The Rock Hill/York County Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB), also known as Visit York County, is the destination
unified identity for York County, SC.
DIRECT ECONOMIC IMPACT
436
marketing organization (DMO) responsible for developing an authentic,
$18.2M
64K
EVENT ATTENDANCE
28K
EVENTS BOOKED
BROCHURES GIVEN
99,722
As a DMO, the CVB’s goals are to
WEBSITE VISITORS
promote the long-term development and marketing of the destination, focusing on convention, sports and leisure sales, tourism marketing and group services. The organization works in collaboration
41
PUBLISHED STORIES
$245M VISITOR SPENDING
with the CVB Board, as well as the York County Council and appropriate funding sources. In 2008, the Rock Hill/York County CVB became the first accredited destination marketing organization in South Carolina.
Visitor Spending represents the 2017 calendar year report. Source: South Carolina Parks, Recreation & Tourism Dept.
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#VisitYorkCounty
SPORTS TOURISM HIGHLIGHTS
#ChampionsThriveHere Visit York County hosted or collaborated with 29 sports events throughout the 2017 – 2018 fiscal year. The 29 events were headlined by the BMX World Championships, Football University Top Gun Showcase and Riley’s Cup. Events were held in Rock Hill, Fort Mill, Clover, York and Lake Wylie. The totals were staggering, with over $9 million of economic impact, 18,000 plus room nights and over 60,000 in total attendance.
$9,819,322 Economic Impact
62,245 Total Attendance
29
Sporting Events
18,775
Total Room Nights
5 | 2017-2018 Annual Tourism Report ∙ York County, SC
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#VisitYorkCounty
MEETINGS & CONFERENCES HIGHLIGHTS
The meetings and conferences market had another successful year in York County. Many of our conferences are supported by the religious and education markets. Over 3,000 room nights and an economic impact of more than $900,000 were generated in the 2017 – 2018 fiscal year. With more growth from new corporations moving into York County, the meetings and conferences market has nowhere to go but up.
$931,130 Economic Impact
5,305
Total Attendance
13 Meetings & Conferences
3,210
Total Room Nights
6 | 2017-2018 Annual Tourism Report ∙ York County, SC
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#VisitYorkCounty
GROUP TOURS HIGHLIGHTS
The group tour market continued its success for the 2017 – 2018
$656,300 Economic Impact
13,700
fiscal year. Attractions such as Historic Brattonsville, Catawba Cultural Center, Carowinds, and NarroWay Productions anchor the group tour market in York County. With nearly 400 total groups and over 13,000 attendees, this is a strong market with more room to grow.
Total Attendance
New attractions like Mr. Putty’s Fun Park, Adventure Air Sports
395
Rock Hill, and SouthTown Wake Park will be able to make a contribution in the future.
Group Tours
678
Total Room Nights
7 | 2017-2018 Annual Tourism Report ∙ York County, SC
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#VisitYorkCounty
LEISURE TRAVEL York County Visitors Center 4,069
Brochures Distributed via Mail
Brochures, Guides & Maps
1,561
Walk-in Traffic
Visit York County produces multiple brochures and guides to
2,538
Telephone Inquiries
9,350
Brochure Distribution at Welcome/Visitor Centers
10,750
(min) York County Hotel Brochure Distribution
119
Relocation Fulfillments
encourage exploration throughout York County. These pieces are distributed through a variety of means including direct mail, State Welcome Centers, hotel brochure racks and the York County Visitors Center. Several printed pieces are in such high-demand that a reprint is often needed during the fiscal year. This was the case during FY 2017-2018 for the Western York County Scenic Byway brochure as well as the Kings Mountain State and National Military Parks’ brochure. These two brochures highlight the history and culture of Western York County including historical sites, fresh markets, dining, shopping
Leisure Travel Market Sales
and recreational opportunities along the serene country roads. Visit York County also produces six tear-away maps that highlight attractions in each respective area. Both the Rock Hill and Tega Cay tear-away maps required a reprint during FY 2017-2018. Individual visitors as well as large groups who are in the area for meetings and events seek out these maps for suggested points of interest and navigational assistance. Staff worked with York County Government and local cyclists to ensure accurate and user-friendly literature for the ever-growing cycling community. A navigational cue sheet with turn-by-turn directions and suggested points of interest was created for
80,413
Total Room Nights
$6,835,105 Economic Impact 3
Advertising Partnerships with York County Attractions
‘Art to planning a trip to York County’ campaign Western York County Scenic Byway brochure, Bike York County brochure and 3 cue sheets
York County Route 3. This marketing piece is the third in a series of five. Annually, the most requested marketing collateral is our York County Visitor Guide. This resource is perfect for finding unique places to visit, dine and shop throughout York County. The cover of the 2017-2018 visitor guide featured a collage of numerous York County attractions and activities. Additionally, it included a York County map and information regarding lodging, agri-tourism, annual events and visitor information. A total of 26,000 visitor guides were printed and distributed.
8 | 2017-2018 Annual Tourism Report ∙ York County, SC
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York County Partners in Tourism York County Partners in Tourism (PIT) is a group of area hotels, restaurants, shops, attractions, and service-oriented businesses whose mission is to create a thriving tourism economy and enhance the quality of life in York County. With a primary objective of supporting Visit York County’s goals, PIT helps promote York County attractions at area events including concerts, festivals and sporting events. A new branded tent and sail sign provided increased visibility and improved visitor awareness at these events. The PIT Board began diligently researching the possibility of hosting an event to promote the desired York County Experience for York County hospitality staff. Interviews with speakers continue to take place with the goal of producing a program that will provide the tools and strategies needed for tourism and hospitality partners to effectively engage with visitors to make every visit a memorable and satisfying one. Whether business or pleasure, PIT wants to deliver a consistent message to every visitor when sharing the York County Experience. PIT strives to make each monthly meeting an educational experience for the members by holding the meetings in various locations throughout York County. In addition to the presentations made by host site speakers each month, the board’s goal is to provide quality programming that is relevant to the tourism industry of York County. This is also a great opportunity for members to network and gain a better understanding of each other’s role in the community, as well as stay up to date on events and trends in York County.
Top 5 States Requesting Visitor Information:
n
a
South Carolina
North Carolina
E
h
Florida
New York
l Pennsylvania
9 | 2017-2018 Annual Tourism Report ∙ York County, SC
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#VisitYorkCounty
COMMUNICATIONS 2017-2018 HIGHLIGHTS
Visit York County’s communications efforts continue to thrive
41
Stories Published
through various techniques of communication, including new digital components that allowed staff to expand the brand message reach and performance optimization. During the FY 2017-2018, the Visit York County marketing communications
99,722
efforts stayed aligned with the strategic methods identified to
5,486
Our Digital Footprint and Social Community
Website Hits
Mobile App Sessions
27,953 Facebook Fans
2,840
increase brand awareness, lead generation and website traffic with 70% of digital awareness ads.
The partnership with the South Carolina Parks, Recreation & Tourism (SCPRT) co-op program continued to support our marketing efforts. • The top performing digital media placements based on click-through-rate (CTR) was SCPRT’s Facebook Boosted Post with a 3.87% link CTR. • Interfuse native ads were our primary lead driving placement, returning nearly 300 leads above the 2,500 estimated (12% more than guaranteed). • Madden Media Amplified Storytelling drove quality traffic to visityorkcounty.com with over 1,800 sessions April through May, 96% of which were representative of new users. • Pandora was the strongest driver of impressions, over 1 million, making this placement one of the strongest for awareness.
Twitter Followers
• Goodway Group launched with a positive CTR, 50% above the industry standard of 0.08%.
767
• Sojern continued in the spring with a CTR meeting the industry standard of 0.08%. • The YouTube TruView placement performed the best in the winter returning 27% more completed views than purchased.
Instagram Followers
10 | 2017-2018 Annual Tourism Report ∙ York County, SC
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Our Story Telling the York County story is about working with industry partners to help share the good news.
This Year We... • Partnered with SCPRT on media missions throughout the nation and met with approximately 84 media representatives that cover South Carolina tourism. • Continued to work with Mindy Bianca PR (MBPR) to foster and grow new relationships with various media.
•In November 2017, York County was featured in an article by travel food blogger Nichole Livengood with Gap Creek Gourmet©.
• Coordinated or contributed to media visits arranged in partnership with the Olde English District Tourism Commission and SCPRT©. • Continued annual partnerships with local festivals/tours to assist with additional communications/publicity efforts. Visit York County wrote media releases, coordinated interviews and media appearances for the SC Ag + Art Tour/Ag + Art Tour York County and Juneteenth Rock Hill, Inc.
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twitter @visityorkcounty
@visityorkcountysc
Stay Up to Date Download the Visit York County, SC App
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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 (Visit York County) 130 E. Main St., Rock Hill, SC 29730 (888) 702 1320 • visityorkcounty.com
Information shared in this publication covers July 1, 2017 – June 30, 2018