TheSunNews.com: Tourism

Chamber gets moving after election

Tue, 09 Jun 2009 11:36 EDT

On 9 a.m. Wednesday, the morning after the election, a group will huddle in the board room of the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce, concocting the strategies on how to further the business community's agenda.

OK, maybe they won't be huddling or concocting. But some of the biggest projects on the local tourism industry's wish list lie in the hands of the newly elected - or re-elected - politicians, and the chamber's Legislative Policy Council will meet potentially hours after they are confirmed winners.

"That was not planned that way," council Chairman Franklin Daniels said with a chuckle. "But, hey, no time like the present. We gotta get moving on it. Figure out who's in the office and how we can work with them."

Energy Accord? Chamber forum melds the old with the new

Tue, 09 Jun 2009 11:37 EDT

Many readers, we would guess, find it hard to discern the "right" course for the nation's energy future. Energy policy has gotten caught up in the culture war. When that happens, the truth can be hard to see.

One faction staunchly advocates more domestic oil and gas drilling, augmented with new nuclear power plants, as the nation's energy salvation. Just as staunchly, the opposition depicts more drilling as the pointless feeding of an unsustainable addiction; it urges a greater policy emphasis on such sustainable energy sources as solar power, wind power and biofuels. Each faction advances seemingly strong arguments for its position, grounded in dueling projections and statistics.

Someone needs to sort all this out for local folks. Into that confusion breach has stepped the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce with its first ever Alternative Energy Forum. The event, which will include energy-related exhibits, happens Oct. 8 at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center, between 8:30 a.m. and noon.

Myrtle Beach: Swing by, candidates

Tue, 09 Jun 2009 11:38 EDT

Myrtle Beach tourism officials are inviting Sen. Barack Obama and Sen. John McCain to face off in the Myrtle Beach area - on a mini-golf course.

The putt-putt challenge comes after ABC commentator Cokie Roberts criticized Obama this past weekend for vacationing in "foreign, exotic" Hawaii instead of someplace like Myrtle Beach.

After hearing that, the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce reached out publicly to Obama and invited him back to the Grand Strand. Then, it upped the ante by inviting both presumptive nominees to take part in the annual mini-golf championship held at the conveniently named Hawaiian Rumble in North Myrtle Beach.

National Resources Defense Council: Group's findings are inaccurate

Tue, 09 Jun 2009 11:41 EDT

Recently, a nonprofit environmental activist group called the National Resources Defense Council released its annual assessment of our nation's beaches. The NRDC claims its purpose is to protect wildlife and wild places, and includes in its stated objectives a reduction in oil dependency, curbing global warming, saving wild lands and improving environmental standards in China. Though the report does shed light on ocean water quality, its meaningful observations are marginalized in a publicity frenzy prompted by the NRDC's alarmist tactics.

A thorough review of the NRDC beach report may lead critics to conclude this report is unreliable and decidedly unfavorable. We can rightly object to numerous inaccuracies, omissions and mischaracterizations therein. NRDC underreports the frequency of testing throughout our state; miscategorizes a number of South Carolina beaches; and, in some instances, miscalculates the number of testing stations within various sites. These mistakes are by no means trivial; they directly affect the accuracy of the NRDC's analysis. The S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control documented numerous inaccuracies, but to no avail. By knowingly publishing misinformation, this environmental watchdog only weakens its credibility, no matter how well-meaning its purpose may be.

Defenders of water quality can choose to refute the report's findings and cite this NRDC assessment: "Improved test results combined with fewer closings and advisories translated into a better beach season last year for swimmers and coastal communities." Specifically, we can note that our state had zero beach closings and achieved an 84 percent reduction in the number of advisories issued (2007 vs. 2006). Purists demanding zero-tolerance of ocean water pollution may even take comfort in this fact: Two-thirds of our beach advisories were precautionary in nature, mostly based upon the amount of rainfall, not poor test results or problematic conditions. Though we can identify these accomplishments as successes, the NRDC seemingly ignores the possibility that stormwater improvements and stringent testing might be helping.

Sun Fun lineup biggest yet

Tue, 09 Jun 2009 11:43 EDT

It may not be on Ocean Boulevard, but the Sun Fun Festival on the former Myrtle Beach Air Force Base is going to be bigger this year than ever.

There will be celebrities - "Hannah Montana" star Cody Linley, American Idol winner Ruben Studdard, and more - a performance from Third Eye Blind, a national personal watercraft championship and a kids play area the size of a football field.

"This will be a banner year for Sun Fun," said Holly McMillan, who organizes the festival for the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce. "It's just going to be awesome."

Chamber project to help find lost tourists

Tue, 09 Jun 2009 11:45 EDT

The Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce is teaming with a group to help protect tourists with autism, Down syndrome and Alzheimers disease who may get lost or wander off.

The chamber is using Project Lifesaver, a program that keeps track of people via wristbands that emit radio signals. It will provide five wristbands free to visitors.

A Project Lifesaver team can search for a missing person using a mobile tracking system. Last year, Horry County Public Safety became the first in the state to be certified through the program. Thirty people use bracelets in the county.

Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce fields more orders for vacation guide

Tue, 09 Jun 2009 11:46 EDT

Tens of thousands more people than usual ordered Myrtle Beach vacation planners in January, and tourism leaders are beginning to find out a little more about who exactly they are.

Online surveys of people who ordered the Stay & Play vacation planners produced by the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce show that people who ordered the guides are more likely than last year to be new to the area - good news for businesses trying to lure customers.

Myrtle Beach relies on a core of repeat vacationers, but it has been throwing millions of dollars into advertising and promotion to attract new visitors.

Myrtle Beach rolls out welcome mat for Can-Am festival

Tue, 09 Jun 2009 11:48 EDT

What started out as a bid to attract Canadian customers has evolved into a jam-packed festival capped by a bona fide diplomatic and economic summit.

And with the exchange rate where it is - the U.S. dollar has been hanging close to parity with the Canadian dollar for the first time in more than three decades - business leaders say now is the time to seal deals and make the most of the annual Canadian-American Days festival, which starts Saturday.

"A falling dollar makes an investment in the United States more attractive," said Hugh Owens, executive director of the Myrtle Beach Regional Economic Development Corp.

Debates put publicity in bank for Myrtle Beach

Tue, 09 Jun 2009 11:50 EDT

Hosting the presidential primary debates this month put few more heads in beds during the beach's slow season, but the real dividends came in the media coverage, city and tourism officials said.

CNN and Fox News said the city's name often, with Fox's Sean Hannity calling it "beautiful Myrtle Beach, just 72 degrees here tonight."

Most of the more than 100 newspapers and TV stations across the world that mentioned the debates gave the city just that: a mention.

Myrtle Beach in debate spotlight: Community, businesses made Strand shine

Tue, 09 Jun 2009 11:49 EDT

For the first time ever, the road to the White House ran through the Grand Strand in 2008, and there is no doubt our entire community shined. Though the polls and pollsters will tell us who won the Myrtle Beach debates and why, the one clear winner in all of this is certainly the Grand Strand

The national publicity, additional advertising and abundant promotion attracted worldwide attention. We hosted more than 1,000 journalists from 21 nations, all of whom were greeted with warm Southern hospitality from the moment they arrived until the moment they left. The free publicity received, valued in the millions of dollars, put us at the center of the nation's attention for nearly two weeks, creating a steady stream of awareness our community rightly deserves.

We hosted 41 members of Congress, four foreign embassies and a large number of corporate executives, all of whom discovered, or rediscovered, a New Myrtle Beach. And though the weather went from hot to cold, they will certainly not forget the wonderfully warm reception they received and the historic occasion they observed. Better yet, we hosted the next president of the United States of America, and he or she will most certainly remember the time spent in our community (and hopefully carry a photograph of their personalized sand sculpture into the White House in 2009).

Mysterious 3rd sculpture appears on Grand Strand

Tue, 09 Jun 2009 11:52 EDT

The Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce had a sand sculpture built Monday night to squeeze one last drop from the deluge of publicity its presidential sand sculptures brought to town.

Although it bore a striking resemblance to one-time presidential hopeful, Comedy Central personality and Charleston native Stephen Colbert, those in the know were sworn to silence about the sculpture, including whether or when it will be shown on a cable TV network.

"I'm supposed to tell you I can neither confirm or deny the existence of said sculpture," said chamber President Brad Dean on Tuesday, about an hour after a Myrtle Beach fire crew demolished the sculpted face. "I hate to be evasive, but we've been asked to do that."

In the spin room, everybody's a winner

Tue, 09 Jun 2009 11:53 EDT

EDITOR'S NOTE: Originally published in The Sun News on Jan. 22, 2008

While some high-ranking members of the Congressional Black Caucus and the Democratic Party continued to withhold their endorsements after Monday's Democratic debate, they agreed that Myrtle Beach was a clear winner

"I think South Carolina won. I think Myrtle Beach won," said U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn, D-Columbia, during his stop in the spin room, or news conference room, after the debate.

Sand sculptures carve image for Myrtle Beach events

Tue, 09 Jun 2009 12:00 EDT

Sand castles do not usually include giant heads of presidential candidates. Or have company logos on them. Or Web addresses.

But when the sand castle is doubling as an ad for Myrtle Beach, it better be attention-grabbing and get the message across.

Elaborate and nontraditional sand castles, like the two built here for the presidential debates this month, have fast become the most popular form of publicity stunt in Myrtle Beach.

GOP debates in Myrtle Beach called a success

Tue, 09 Jun 2009 12:01 EDT

EDITOR'S NOTE: Originally published in The Sun News on Jan. 12, 2008.

After months of planning, days of setup and countless hours of conference calls, the Republican debate in Myrtle Beach Thursday seemed to roll smoothly, organizers and attendees said.

The debate was part one of Myrtle Beach's two-part test of whether it can perform in the national spotlight, and organizers crowed that they proved the tourist city could pull off a major political event that required intense logistical preparation.

Aggressive salesmanship snared Myrtle Beach debates

Tue, 09 Jun 2009 12:02 EDT

EDITOR'S NOTE: Originally published in The Sun News on Jan. 6, 2008.

When two presidential debates arrive in Myrtle Beach this month, everyone involved agrees that they may be the city's best chance ever to sell itself on the national level.

Behind the scenes, many involved agree that the debates were secured by an unprecedented marketing effort.

Business mixed along Boulevard

Mon, 29 Dec 2008 09:26 EST

Editor's note: Downtown Myrtle Beach faces its first summer without its longtime landmark, The Myrtle Beach Pavilion Amusement Park. The Sun News will show how the area copes by following several businesses through the season.

The absence of The Myrtle Beach Pavilion Amusement Park is having drastically different effects on the businesses that remain along Ocean Boulevard, depending on the type of business and its location.

Crowds still flock to the area as they have every summer - though no one has official numbers to compare to previous years - but the stores and attractions those tourists frequent are being shaped by the 11-acre hole the park has left.