Greetings from Myrtle Beach,
Lots of good news to report for Grand Strand tourism! Summer's in full swing and there are WAY more people in town than there were this time last year. In fact, according to Coastal Carolina University's Clay Brittain Jr. Center for Resort Tourism, lodging occupancy for the 6 weeks from April 27 to June 7 was about 60% for hotels, condotels and campgrounds, up about 4 occupancy points or 7% compared to the same 6 weeks last year. Guests paid slightly more for a room than they did during the same period the previous year, with the average daily rate up 0.7%. Revenue per available room, a key gauge of the industry also known as RevPar, was up 7.7%. Vacation rental properties did even better. About 73% were booked, up 15 occupancy points or 26 % compared to the same period last year. RevPar was up 19%.
How about some accolades! In May, Travel website TripAdvisor declared Myrtle Beach the top destination this summer based on TripAdvisor search data for June 1-Aug. 31 - ahead of Las Vegas (No.2) and New York City (No. 3). Pretty impressive!
Also, the Myrtle Beach International Airport had its busiest May ever. So far this year the airport has had the most seats ever flying into the market thanks to additional flights from new markets and extended schedules for seasonal flights.
For you golfers (and Reality TV fans), the Golf Channel's popular skills competition reality series "The Big Break" will be filmed in Myrtle Beach this year. Now in its 22nd season, it's the Golf Channel's most successful original series with about 5 million viewers watching the 11 episodes each season. "Big Break Myrtle Beach" will be broadcast for 11 consecutive weeks from Oct. 7 through Dec. 16, and will air at 9 p.m. Tuesdays.
I think the strong rentals and positive press may have jumpstarted resort real estate sales. After a spring lull, buyers are back. In a reversal of the normal pattern, March and April sales were sluggish but the last half of May and the first few weeks of June have been very busy.
My Best Buy picks this month include oceanfront and ocean view houses as well as condos in
Anderson Ocean Club, Avista, BAREFOOT RESORT - (Arbor Trace, Cypress Bend, Dye Townhomes, Edgewater, Greenbriar, Harbour Cove, The Havens, Willow Bend, Yacht Club Villas), Bay View, Bay Watch, Beach Club, Beach Colony, Blue Water Keyes, Breakers Boutique, Breakers Resort, Camelot, Caravelle Resort, Caribbean Resort, Carolinian Beach Resort, Chelsea House, Pinnacle/Compass Cove, Coral Beach, Cottages at 7th, Crescent Keyes, Crescent Shores, Dunes Village, Grand Atlantic, Grande Shores, Island Vista, KINGSTON PLANTATION - (Brighton, Margate Tower, Royale Palms, South Hampton), Lauderdale Bay, Long Bay Resort, Magnolia Place, Magnolia Pointe, Malibu Pointe, Mar Vista Grande, Market Common, Monterey Bay, North Beach Towers, North Beach Plantation-Spa Villas, Ocean Bay Club, Ocean Blue, Ocean Keyes, Ocean Reef, Oceans One, Paradise Resort, Prince Resort, Roxanne, Sand Dunes Ph III, Sandy Beach, Seaside Inn, Sea Watch, South Wind, Sunrise Pointe, The Horizon, The Pointe, Tilghman Beach & Golf, Tuscany, Vista Del Mar and Windy Hill Dunes.
Come see me at the beach!
