TOURISM
BY KYLE STOCK
Of The Post and Courier Staff
Harvard professor Michael Porter unveiled his long-awaited economic development study to much fanfare last week. His presentation lasted most of a day, and his message for the 400 or so business and political leaders was simple: South Carolina has a long way to go if it is going to remain competitive in today's economy.
Much of the study, commissioned by public and private groups and carried out by Porter's Monitor Group consulting outfit, focused on drawing high-tech, "knowledge-based" companies, so many were surprised to hear that tourism, along with the automotive, chemical and textile industries, was selected as one the few industries the state should leverage to secure its economic future.
Porter noted that tourism is one of the state's most successful business "clusters," but he said the area's hospitality players are "fragmented" and need to improve collaboration if the state is going to move closer to the economic results booked in tourism-leading states such as Nevada and Hawaii.
The consultant said 37,815 people work in the South Carolina hospitality sector and average of $16,556 a year, slightly lower than the U.S. average. He also noted that tourism dollars per visitor, which he pegged at $278 in South Carolina, are well below the national average of $418
Porter thinks a more unified marketing strategy and a beefed-up hospitality education system, especially at the high school level, would go a long way.
The study also said hospitality leaders should look beyond state borders when trying to book business. Porter encouraged an expansion of the passenger port in Charleston harbor and marketing initiatives aimed at more fly-in travelers, especially visitors from overseas. South Carolina tourism's capital investment in dollars per visitor was $50. The national average is $202.
SAME-SEX TRAVEL
Those who pitch South Carolina as a tourism destination do a lot of cutting-edge things. Their market research is better than it's ever been, and their Web sites are slick and user-friendly. But most Palmetto State hospitality leaders have no plans to chase one of the latest trends in the market, wooing gay and lesbian travelers.
Fort Lauderdale started courting gay travel dollars about a decade ago, but recently a number of other cities have followed suit. Philadelphia has launched a $300,000 campaign aimed at gay travelers, which includes TV ads.
Community Marketing, a San Francisco-based research firm, says gay and lesbian travelers take about 30 percent more vacations and have more disposable income than the average tourist. The company estimates gay travelers comprise 10 percent of the overall market.
Charleston's Convention and Visitors Bureau hasn't launched any "alternative" campaigns and has no plans to do so.
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