Understanding the impact of the travel industry is more important than ever! I’m Julie and I have been fortunate to have worked in the travel industry for more than a decade, and I’m currently the Public Relations Manager for Visit Myrtle Beach. Tourism is an amazing industry! I get to promote 60-miles of beaches, great attractions, amazing restaurants, eco-tours, artistic and educational experiences, and so much more. I encourage people to come to Myrtle Beach to reconnect with loved ones and enjoy unique experiences. It’s all happy stuff, and…

The threat of COVID-19 has affected millions of individuals financially across all parts of the country. In tourism-dependent communities like ours, the shutting down of bars and restaurants—while necessary—yield big blows to hospitality and tourism workers as we head into what would normally be a busy time here in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. While we’ve heard a lot of stories of hardship, we’ve also heard a lot of wonderful stories about neighbors helping one another. One company here locally, Native Sons, has started a ‘Support Our…

Are you ready for REAL ID? On October 1, 2020, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security will implement the final phase of REAL ID enforcement, requiring Americans to present a REAL ID-compliant driver’s license or another acceptable form of authenticated ID to go through airport security checkpoints. REAL ID refers to a set of security standards established by Congress in 2005 for card issuance, card design and application processing that individual states must follow when issuing driver’s licenses and other forms of identification; most REAL…

Plan your Myrtle Beach vacation now--it’s for your own good! Did you know that more than half of American workers (55%) failed to use all their time off last year? That’s a stockpile of 768 million unused vacation days just in 2018, of which 236 million were forfeited completely! What’s the key to using more vacation time? Planning. But nearly half of American households (46%) don’t do this simple step—and they lose out on their time off and the benefits it brings. “The beginning of the year is the time to pull out the calendar and start…

Cocktail Artist, a line of premium mixes and bar ingredients developed by award-winning mixologists, is in search of America’s Best Home Bartender in a Cocktail Mix Off competition taking place in sunny Myrtle Beach! Why Myrtle Beach? Myrtle Beach is a popular vacation spot, welcoming 20 million visitors annually to enjoy its 60-miles of beautiful sandy beaches, entertainment, amusements, and more. It’s great for families and young adults alike. Cocktail Artist chose to host the final round of the competition in Myrtle Beach because…

Locals pass our many attractions and beaches every day, but many don’t even think of how they support our community and our state. Our 60-mile long coastline and the many attractions that have been developed to provide more entertainment options for our tourists define our community, provide our families with jobs, and have given more than nineteen million annual guests a lifetime of memories. Travel matters, and it improves Myrtle Beach in ways that have a wide-reaching impact on our local residents. Travel supports 83,000 Grand Strand jobs,…

CubeSmart Self Storage blog recently surveyed over one thousand Americans and asked them where they would like to move to this year. Their list of nineteen top locations included Myrtle Beach, South Carolina! Respondents cited low cost of living, the beautiful oceanfront location, and loads of perks and amenities as reasons why they’d move to this family-friendly section of the Atlantic coastline. The “sense of community” wasn’t lost on this group, either. Not only is Myrtle Beach a great place to raise a family, it’s a perfect location for…

Hurricane Florence roared away from the Grand Strand and thankfully did minimal damage to our beautiful coastline. However, the massive storm dumped more than 11 trillion gallons of water on North and South Carolina, and much of that water has made its way to some of our communities. Florence the Flood arrived quietly and filled many of our beautiful neighborhoods with silently destructive water. Early estimates show that more than 1,000 homes have been flooded, and many will not be saved. Several of these homeowners do not have flood…

The Myrtle Beach Area, known locally as the “Grand Strand,” suffered only minimal damage from hurricane Florence. While our community is grateful that the storm did not wreak much havoc on our beautiful 60-mile shoreline, we are well aware that our neighbors were significantly impacted by Florence and the subsequent flooding. In the spirit of giving to those in need, many Grand Strand businesses are extending special discounts and offers to people who have been displaced by this terrible storm. People impacted from the flooding in South…

Travel Advisory as of September 22: Due to flooding and road closures surrounding the Myrtle Beach area, driving into the area will be very difficult for the next week or two. Fly, don’t drive. If you must drive into the area, expect heavy congestion, delays and changing detours. Check www.SCDOT.org, 511sc.org or call 511 for latest road conditions. Hurricane Florence has finally moved on from our beautiful Myrtle Beach destination. While we are thankful that the physical damage to our destination seems minimal so far, we’re very aware of…