The business numbers are just coming in for the Summer 2019 City of Myrtle Beach tourist season.
Myrtle Beach city businesses reported 2019 sales down from as little as 8% to as much as 20% depending on which city merchants we spoke with.
In 2018, City of Myrtle Beach business was down 12%. 2017 saw business numbers down from 2016 as well.
2017 was the year of the famous gang related City of Myrtle Beach viral video “shoot out” seen by millions of Americans on Facebook.
The BRITTAIN CENTER FOR RESORT TOURISM at Coastal Carolina University does not publish specific numbers for the City of Myrtle Beach alone. The group commingles all visitor data with the better performing cities of North Myrtle Beach, Surfside Beach, and Garden City beach.
Grand Strand tourism, across the board, is projected to be up Summer 2019.
2018 financials published by the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce show that the “not for profit” is now tax subsidized to the tune of $55 million annually. https://www.myrtlebeachareachamber.com/about/docs/2018taxreturn.pdf and https://www.myrtlebeachareachamber.com/about/docs/2018consolidatedfinancialstatements.pdf
The organization discontinued running local commercials with the tag line, “It’s working”. These T.V. and radio spots filled the air waves earlier this decade when the tourist tax was first introduced.
After ten years of ever increasing tax subsidies to the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce, the organization is choosing to keep a low profile during the 2019 Fall City Council elections.