A record 20.4 million visitors in the Myrtle Beach area generated US $10.8 billion in expenditures in 2018, continuing a trend of year-over-year growth, and echoing the impact of the tourism industry reported by the South Carolina Parks, Recreation & Tourism during the South Carolina Governor’s Conference on Tourism & Travel.

“Tourism is a significant industry for the state as a whole, and it is the Myrtle Beach area’s number one industry,” said Karen Riordan, president and CEO of the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce and Convention and Visitors Bureau.

“Tourism accounts for more than 57,000 jobs in our area and supports world class attractions and events that both visitors and locals enjoy. Continued growth in tourism is vital to ensuring the long-term success of local residents and business owners.”

The results of the Myrtle Beach Area CVB’s marketing efforts for 2019 are detailed in a newly released Annual Tourism Report.

“We are sharing this information with our community in the spirit of transparency and accountability to our residents,” said Riordan.

“While the final results of our marketing efforts for 2019 won’t be available until late spring, the numbers we’ve received so far indicate another positive year of growth.”

Key highlights from the report include:

⦁ Marketing efforts generated 39 percent first time visitation in 2018, resulting in $3.8 billion in expenditures

⦁ Each dollar spent on destination marketing generated $164 in revenue in 2018

⦁ A 4 percent increase in visitor growth in 2018

⦁ $9.2 billion gross retail sales for Horry County as of September 2019, an increase of 1.86 percent year-over-year

⦁ $27.6 million TDF collections as of October 2019, a 10.4 percent increase year-over-year