Friday, Jun. 19, 2009

Myrtle Beach racks millions in free publicity

Travel media, debates shine light on Strand

Myrtle Beach received more than $25.8 million in free publicity in 2008, with about $12.4 million coming from broadcast and print coverage of the January 2008 presidential primary debates and about $13.5 million coming from travel stories, according to figures from the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce.

Tourist destinations frequently rely on travel media coverage to promote their products.

The figures do not include most broadcast coverage, such as a Travel Channel special and an Access Hollywood mention.

The chamber contracts with two companies, BurrellesLuce and Cision, to monitor media coverage, but usually does not include broadcast because the monitoring is too expensive. This year, the chamber made an exception in January to track the effect of the presidential primary debates, said Kimberly Miles, the chamber's public relations manager.

The free publicity total would be higher if it included the Travel Channel special - a spotlight on Myrtle Beach by TV travel guide Samantha Brown - and the Access Hollywood spot, hosted by Myrtle Beach native Nancy O'Dell, Miles said.

The chamber and the Myrtle Beach Area Convention and Visitors Bureau hosted 76 travel writers, including 28 during a meeting of the Society of American Travel Writers in June. Travel writers usually get free meals and hotel stays.

The value is calculated in part by figuring out what a comparable ad would cost in the publication, and by looking at the publication's circulation, Miles said.

lfleisher@thesunnews.com