As of February 2018,  the City of Myrtle Beach will have turned over approaching $200 million in TDF tax monies to the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce since the tax began in 2009

Because the town of North Myrtle Beach is considered a more family friendly brand, questions remain as to what the North Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce could have done with $200 million over the past decade?

In 2017, the City of North Myrtle Beach outperformed the City of Myrtle Beach again for the fifth consecutive year.

North Myrtle Beach hotels and beach homes garnered a higher average daily rate and longer average stays among its customers above City of Myrtle Beach resort properties.

The average Myrtle Beach tourist pays less for a hotel and stays 3 nights on average.  North Myrtle Beach tourists stay an average of 5 nights and pay an average of over $36 more per day for their average vacation stay.  We do note, however, that many of North Myrtle Beach’s guests stay in beach homes and larger condos. This does skew the average price per day upward.

Most tourists and locals agree that the quality of guests who stay in North Myrtle Beach are considered a much higher clientele than the average City of Myrtle Beach hotel visitor.

At yesterday’s City of Myrtle Beach retreat,  Myrtle Beach City Council continued to tout the need for continuing the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce TDF (tourist tax).  As of February 2018,  the City of Myrtle Beach will have turned over approaching $200 million in TDF monies to the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce since the tax was implemented in 2009.

On March 6, 2018, City of North Myrtle Beach residents will go to the polls to vote on whether the City of North Myrtle Beach will pass the same law.  MyrtleBeachSC.com spoke with a Horry County Councilman in January who joked that while the Myrtle Beach TDF was vital, the NMB TDF was “dead on arrival.”

As we approach 30 days away from this critical vote, it has become painfully clear that MBACC is lending no support towards getting the NMB TDF passed.  Yet MBACC has told its legislative council that getting the Myrtle Beach TDF passed by five of seven Myrtle Beach City Council votes is its number one priority in 2018.

The Myrtle Beach Area Chamber helps fund and supports the Grand Strand Business Alliance.  The Grand Strand Business Alliance is the number one political action committee along the coast.   If the TDF is such a solid idea,  why isn’t the Grand Strand Business Alliance running 30 second commercials encouraging NMB city residents to support the tax?

FAIR PLAY?

If the TDF is such a strong initiative for Myrtle Beach,  why is it not supported by the Grand Strand Business Alliance nor MBACC for the City of North Myrtle Beach?  Were this the Myrtle Beach TDF on the ballot, residents could expect to see the “OH YEAH, It’s Working” TV ads ad nauseum.

As the North Myrtle Beach TDF continues to NOT be supported by insiders,  shouldn’t the resident populations of Myrtle Beach and North Myrtle Beach demand fair play?

Few would disagree that the North Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce has proven to be a much more efficient and effective organization for delivering higher quality tourists above what the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce has produced for Myrtle Beach city hotels.

Questions remain as to what the North Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce could have done with $200 million over the past decade?