Tourism Bureau Recognized for Using Data to Show the Strength of World’s Strongest Man

Myrtle Beach, S.C. (May 16, 2024) —Zartico, a leading SaaS technology company serving the travel and tourism industry, has announced Visit Myrtle Beach was one of seven organizations to receive a 2024 Data Hero Award, a recognition bestowed to travel destination leaders who use data to optimize strategy and tailor marketing efforts.

Visit Myrtle Beach received the award in the sports category for using data to show the strength of the 2023 World’s Strongest Man (WSM) competition, including findings that showed the following:

• attendance records for the 2023 WSM shattered previous totals with over 38,000 attendees traveling to Myrtle Beach;

• WSM generated a significant economic impact for the community, including $13.1 million in hotel revenue;

• attendees visited a higher amount of attractions and restaurants compared to the typical visitor demographic; and

• the data contributed to Myrtle Beach being selected as the host city for the 2024 competition.

“Receiving a Data Hero Award from Zartico is a true honor as evaluating analytics is critical to our mission to provide benefits to our community through tourism. The World’s Strongest Man data showed the event was an enormous economic success for our region and organizers renewed the competition by hosting the three-day event in Myrtle Beach for a second year in a row,” said Karen Riordan, president and CEO, Visit Myrtle Beach.

The 2024 Data Hero Awards took place at Zartico’s second annual Zarticon conference in Charlotte, N.C., on May 13-15, 2024.

“Recognizing the myriad of ways that data and analytics are being used to drive and inform marketing and tourism development strategy provides our industry with inspiration for how big data can help us address and overcome long-standing challenges,” shared Sarah Lehman, CEO of Zartico. “Each of these recipients exemplifies leadership, innovation and a distinct commitment to improving their respective communities by arming them with the tools necessary to execute a hyper-personalized approach.”

The seven other winners were Explore Asheville (N.C.) for Chasing Innovation Award; Putnam County Convention and Visitors Bureau for Campaign Planning, ROOST - Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism for Community Partnership, meetNKY for Destination Management, Visit Tampa Bay for Meetings/Conventions, Visit Lake Tahoe for Stewardship and Idea Peddler via New Mexico Tourism Department for Agency Unique Data Use.

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Editor’s Note: Images from World’s Strongest Man 2024 can be found HERE. (CREDIT: Visit Myrtle Beach)

Contact: Denielle VanDyke, Public Relations Manager, denielle.vandyke@visitmyrtlebeach.com

About Zartico

Zartico is a SaaS technology company that uses data science and AI to create strategic planning and optimization solutions for destination leaders. Zartico’s mission is to empower organizations to realize the possibilities of the world’s places through improved data intelligence and strategic decision-making. With a full spectrum of data science, benchmarking, and analytical tools, ZDOS™ harnesses and streamlines complex data for destinations to use in marketing, growth management, and sustainability efforts. Based in Salt Lake City, Utah, the Zartico team has decades of experience in technology, tourism, and destination marketing. 

About Myrtle Beach, S.C.

Myrtle Beach isn’t just a beach. It’s The Beach. Popularly known as the Grand Strand, Myrtle Beach is one destination made up of 14 unique communities that stretch 60 miles along the northeast coast of South Carolina. Families, couples and those in search of a warm welcome will find more than just a day at The Beach when they come together to connect and enjoy vibrant entertainment and family attractions, including world-class golf, shopping and fresh coastal Carolina cuisine. From the moment you arrive, you’ll find you belong at The Beach – Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. For additional information on tourism offerings in the Myrtle Beach area, visit www.visitmyrtlebeach.com or call (888) Myrtle-1.