The Myrtle Beach Area CVB has released the 2021 Annual Report to highlight key performance metrics and visitor insights for the past year. In 2020, the Grand Strand lost $1.8 billion in Domestic Visitor Spending, which was a 34.6% decrease compared to 2019. However, 2021 was a much different story. When it came to recovering from the economic impact of COVID-19, data shows that destinations that were willing to invest marketing dollars sooner recovered more quickly. Visit Myrtle Beach was on the leading edge of this effort to spend early and often. As a result, The Beach reaped the rewards with a strong recovery in hotel occupancy & revenue, consumer spending & tax revenues. In fact, Myrtle Beach was #1 in the U.S. for Hotel Revenue Recovery.
Key Highlights:
The Beach ranked #1 among our competitive set in search demand and had strong performances in search popularity on top OTAs in 2021. Including #1 on TripAdvisor for June Domestic Searches and 3rd most popular Summer Destination search.
According to VISA, Domestic Visitor Spending was up 58% year over year, while Horry County's gross sales rose 26% to %15.9 billion in 2021.
Tax revenues also reached all-time highs in 2021 with Accommodations Tax at $31.7 Million (Up 88% YOY), Tourism Development Fee at $40 Million (Up 42% YOY), and Hospitality Tax at $35.7 Million (Up 267% YOY).
The VMB group sales team exceeded goals for room night leads and definite room nights booked with 345K room night leads and 256K definite room nights booked.
Visit Myrtle Beach’s marketing programs were recognized with the industry’s most prestigious honor – US Travel’s Destiny Award for Best Integrated Marketing Campaign.
This banner year was promoted by marketing highlights that included the launch of a new brand, a 5-season approach to marketing campaigns, and continued efforts in collaborative activations, promotions and partnerships. In May 2021 the CVB announced the rebrand of the area as simply “The Beach”. The brand promotes belonging and welcomes everyone to find their place along our 60 miles of shores and 14 unique communities. The new brand welcomes everyone. 2021 also saw a robust marketing program that included five season campaigns, as well as promotions targeting high-value travelers and segments including leisure travelers, non-stop Air service, golfers, meetings, groups & sports planners, and international travelers. The activations and partnerships with top brands and events extended the reach beyond traditional tourism marketing channels to national audiences and retail channels.
Please view the digital Myrtle Beach Area CVB 2021 Annual Report for more details, insights, statistics, and awards.