MYRTLE BEACH, S.C.—As the year comes to a close, the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce (MBACC) and Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) is reflecting on highlights from the past 12 months and its initiatives for 2022.

According to the chamber, Myrtle Beach’s popularity stood out as a major hallmark of the year with the area acclaimed by numerous resources as a top place to live and visit. Among the destination’s stats and accolades, a recent study by CoStar Analytics revealed Myrtle Beach was the top destination in the country for hotel performance recovery.

“Our 60 miles of beaches, abundance of outdoor recreational opportunities and convenient location are all contributing factors to why families are both visiting and moving to the Myrtle Beach area,” said MBACC and CVB President and CEO Karen Riordan.

However, she recognized that the true stars of 2021 were the region’s employers and employees who worked especially hard to respond to the increased volume of business. “While the national labor shortage especially impacted our businesses this year, our workforce stepped up to the plate in order to meet the unprecedented demand. We are all truly humbled by their dedication and fortitude,” she said.

Additional highlights of 2021 include the launch of the CVB’s new brand, The Beach; bringing Southwest Airlines to Myrtle Beach International Airport; creating the Winter Wonderland at The Beach festival; supporting the ongoing efforts to revitalize downtown Myrtle Beach; and advancing the efforts to construct Interstate 73.

MBACC will continue to support the business community in 2022 with initiatives focused on developing the region’s workforce, diversifying the economy, revitalizing downtown Myrtle Beach, advocating for transportation infrastructure projects like I-73 and additional efforts.

“The entire Grand Strand should be immensely proud of what we accomplished during this unprecedented year and excited about all that the future holds,” Riordan said.

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About Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce and Convention and Visitors Bureau:

Since 1938, the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce (MBACC) has stood as the unified voice of the Grand Strand's business community — serving Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach, Little River, Loris, Atlantic Beach, Carolina Forest, Conway, Aynor, Socastee, Surfside Beach, Garden City Beach, Murrells Inlet, Litchfield Beach and Pawleys Island. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has awarded MBACC its five-star accreditation — one of only a few chambers in South Carolina to earn this distinction. The Myrtle Beach Area Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) and its destination marketing arm Visit Myrtle Beach promote tourism through various partnerships and initiatives to advance the economic success of the Grand Strand. For more information, visit MyrtleBeachAreaChamber.com, MyrtleBeachAreaCVB.com and VisitMyrtleBeach.com.