Myrtle Seashore chamber optimistic about tourism after robust 12 months of COVID-19 pandemic | Information

It’s been a tough, challenging year for the business and tourism industry at Grand Strand, but better days are ahead, according to the chief executive of the Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce.

Karen Riordan, President and CEO of the Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce, doesn’t say Grand Strand is fully recovered from the aftermath of the global COVID-19 pandemic. However, she is optimistic that the beach area is on track to return to pre-March 2020 levels.

“The pandemic has been devastating worldwide,” she wrote in response to a question about how COVID-19 had affected the beach economy. “Here at Grand Strand, the pandemic tragedy has hit all of us in some shape or way, including the loss of loved ones. But our area is resilient. We have seen how we have overcome hurricanes and other economic recessions in the past, and we are seeing it now. We are currently seeing a resurgence of weekend travelers in the area where our amazing companies and their employees are doing everything possible to meet these demands, despite a staff shortage. It is these men and women who have kept the beach open, and continue to do so, who are the faces of resilience. “

For a while, the COVID-19 pandemic seemed to worsen, straining life and business in South Carolina and elsewhere. While Myrtle Beach was never a ghost town even in the worst of COVID times, tourism and the entertainment / entertainment economy declined measurably in Grand Strand. And the bottom line could have come when some visitors outside of the state reported (incorrectly, it turned out) last summer that the beach area had become a COVID-19 virus hotspot. Hotel and motel occupancy fell, some restaurants closed their doors or drastically reduced their opening times, and the lines of happy, smiling people in the water parks became much shorter.

Even the beaches themselves, the mainstay of the region’s economy, had far fewer visitors. People just didn’t come here the way they used to.

Anything about the pandemic or whatever was being reported about the beach and the pandemic.

Then, perhaps best summed up by Myrtle Beach City’s new manager Jonathan “Fox” Simmons, a few months ago he said, “We’ve been rocking and rolling and doing really well. We had a great year January, February and the first half of March (2020) and then the faucet turned off. “

At this point, Riordan and her team at the Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce were engaged in smart, visionary planning to revive the economy in the Grand Strand area. They came up with an innovative idea called “Ready, Set, Go Tourism Recovery Marketing Strategy”.

According to Riordan, the purpose of the strategy was to create awareness and interest in coming to Myrtle Beach, and then responsibly invite visitors when they were ready.

Riordan said, “This approach has positioned Myrtle Beach for a strong resurgence from May 2020 onwards. The chamber team has also taken various measures to help all of our small businesses with closings and gradual reopenings, such as: For example, the creation of new Facebook groups offering restaurants-out opportunities, as well as the Local-to-Local Facebook group and the “Show Your Love for the Beach”.

A major challenge for businesses large and small at Grand Strand was the labor shortage, compounded by an abundance of pandemic stimulus funds and generous unemployment benefits. Some people have openly asked why they should work when they can stay home with their families and get good money from the government.

The Chamber’s response to this is still a work in progress, but according to CEO Riordan, “it is proactively working on a variety of plans and programs to support our companies in the region with their staffing needs, including working with regional working groups to open jobs at trade fairs, Working with Horry County Schools to recruit youth, recruit active retirees, (and) post vacancies on our website and social media … “

Looking ahead, Grand Strand’s economic development and tourism appear to be linked to several important things, including diversifying the beach industries beyond tourism, according to the chamber. Granting federal grants for the redevelopment of the inner city and raising funds for Interstate 73. The latter (money for a new freeway) is one of the chamber’s most important goals for the future, according to Riordan.

“The Interstate will help diversify our tourism-focused economy and create significant business development opportunities through new industries as current industries improve,” said Riordan. “In addition to creating thousands of high-paying jobs in the area, the interstate would ease the dangerous traffic jams along US Route 501 and provide a life-saving hurricane evacuation route for residents and visitors.”

Meanwhile, the resurgence of Grand Strand, which has recovered from the negative effects of the pandemic, is still ongoing. Vaccinations against COVID-19 are definitely on the rise. And people – whether they live on Grand Strand or visit here – are a little more comfortable mixing, mixing, and patronizing companies (though social distancing and wearing masks are still recommended).

Riordan says that while important steps have been taken to get the area back on track, the chamber’s efforts will continue.

“Grand Strand has by no means fully recovered from the pandemic and a lot of work is going on as we welcome our visitors back to the region,” she said. “This includes keeping our Visit Myrtle Beach website updated with the latest information on responsible travel, working with local companies to promote vaccination for employees, and working with local and government organizations to bring the workforce available in the region to increase. “

For more information on what the Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce is doing to promote economic development, business and tourism at Grand Strand, please contact Marlane White, Communications Manager at the Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce at 843-916-7295. Or visit the Chamber’s website: www.MyrtleBeachAreaChamber.com