Tourism spending in S.C. increased 1.7% in 2008

Tourism in Charleston Domestic travelers spent about $9.9 billion in South Carolina last year, up 1.7% from 2007, according to a new study conducted for the state’s tourism agency. Spending in Charleston County rose 2.6% to $1.6 billion, making it second among the state’s 46 counties in total expenditures. Horry County was first, with $3.1 billion.

Staff Report
Published Oct. 12, 2009

Travel spending in South Carolina grew 1.7% in 2008, even as the national economy struggled, according to a new report.

Domestic travelers spent about $9.9 billion in South Carolina last year. Expenditures in Charleston County, at $1.6 billion, were up 2.6% from 2007.

Tourism Charleston palmetto trees Charleston County’s total represented 16.5% of the statewide total. The county ranked second among the state’s 46 counties in expenditures. Horry County was first, with $3.1 billion. In the third-place spot was Beaufort County, which saw about $1 billion in domestic travel spending.

The data came from a recently released study on 2008 domestic traveler expenditures in South Carolina by the research department of the U.S. Travel Association based in Washington, D.C. The group conducted the study for the S.C. Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism.

Greenville and Richland counties ranked fourth and fifth, respectively, in their share of the state’s travel spending.

Domestic travel spending totaled $92.2 million last year in Berkeley County, up 1.3% from 2007. Spending in Dorchester County was $63.6 million, up 4.9% from the prior year.

In other highlights from the report:

Food service was the largest spending category. At $2.8 billion, food service accounted for nearly 29% of all domestic travel expenditures statewide.
Lodging represented about $2.1 billion of expenditures, the third-largest category, after auto transportation. But lodging expenditures were down 1.6% from 2007. The drop was related to a 4.5% decline in total hotel rooms sold last year, according to data from Smith Travel Research.
Domestic travel expenditures directly generated 113,800 jobs in South Carolina in 2008, a decrease of 1.2% from the prior year.
Domestic travel spending in South Carolina directly generated nearly $1.5 billion in tax revenue for federal, state and local governments in 2008, up 1.4% from 2007. However, the increase was driven, in part, by higher state sales and use tax rates that went into effect June 1, 2007.