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February 9, 2003
S.C. tourism has bright future under Sanford
Tourism in South Carolina is
unquestionably the goose that lays the golden egg.
Gov. Mark Sanford knows it, and it’s his
intention to cultivate that goose so that even bigger golden
eggs will be laid in the future, the NAACP’s ill-advised
economic boycott notwithstanding.
Just for
the record, tourism is an industry that generates 10 percent
of tax revenue and is linked to one in eight jobs, the
governor noted Thursday at the Governor’s Conference on Travel
and Tourism held in Greenville.
Last year
tourism, now the state’s leading industry, brought in $15
billion to the state’s economy along with 29 million visitors.
“For too long in state government, the place
on the shelf travel and tourism has gotten hasn’t been in its
rightful spot,” the governor told industry leaders at the
conference. “The quality of life is what we’re selling in the
tourism industry ... The numbers are just staggering ... It is
gargantuan by any measure” for its impact on creating
jobs.
Even though the coastal region of the
state — from the Grand Strand to Hilton Head — accounts for
most of the tourism by attracting visitors from out of state,
a more recent trend since 9/11 events has been for South
Carolinians to stay closer to home and take shorter vacations.
That’s even better for state tourism as most of these
vacationers enjoy the attractions in their own back yard.
Tourism growth isn’t confined to the coast,
however. Sumter and other inland counties are sharing in this
growth. Out-of-town visitors continue to enjoy Sumter’s
incomparable Swan Lake-Iris Gardens, as do the locals. It is
truly an oasis of beauty.
But there’s much
more. Visitors to our area are looking for more than just
surf, sand, amusement parks and golf. They want to get off the
beaten path and visit historical sites, of which we have
plenty. And we have the Palmetto Trail winding through the
county that draws visitors who want to experience the great
outdoors — the eco-tourists.
Plus, there are
the cultural attractions that are being bolstered by the
addition of a superb new Gallery of Art opening shortly in the
old science wing at the former Edmunds High School,
complementing Patriot Hall and the Sumter Little Theatre
located in the same building. In addition, the Sumter County
Museum is moving toward completion of its Heritage Education
Center, home to the Sumter County Historical Society and a
place where the history of our 200-year-old community can be
showcased.
Tourism in South Carolina has a
bright future. It means more jobs as the major contributor to
a growing and vibrant economy. With a governor committed to
placing tourism on the top shelf by cultivating the goose that
lays the golden egg, South Carolina is poised to benefit from
what has become its cleanest and most attractive industry.
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February 10, 2003 
