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Web posted
Thursday, February 5, 2004
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Editorial: Governor on right track supporting tourism
Carolina Morning News
Gov. Mark Sanford was right on the money with his comments this week about resetting the state's priorities on tourism promotion and his call to the private tourism industry to think outside the box in improving services to the Palmetto State's visitors.
Of course, the governor was preaching to the choir when he spoke before 300 guests at the 2004 Governor's Conference on Tourism on Tuesday at the Westin Resort on Hilton Head Island. Tourism business leaders had gathered to explore ways to support one of the state's leading industries.
Sanford is correct in recognizing that the money generated by tourism has become more important than ever to the state's economy. He pointed out that the state's tourism industry employees 132,000 people, more than 22 times the number employed at the BMW auto plant in Greer.
South Carolina's days as a manufacturing state are past, and its future strength lies in large measure in keeping it an attractive place to visit.
The governor reviewed how his administration has moved funding around in state agencies to direct more money toward direct marketing and away from administration in the Parks, Recreation and Tourism Department.
State, county and local governments must also be on the lookout for ways to protect the goose that laid the golden egg. That means protecting the beautiful landscapes, viewsheds, marshes, beaches and the rest of the environment that draws visitors here from around the nation and the globe.
It also means those same leaders must redouble their efforts to improve the state's highways, airports, seaports and other transportation infrastructure so the traveling public's visits are safe and convenient.
To use just one local example, if it becomes too difficult for tourists to drive from Interstate 95 to Hilton Head Island, they will stop coming.
If the stat's tourism industry is to be protected, nurtured and grown, government and business leaders at all levels must make cogent decisions on a daily basis that move us toward that goal. Those choices will range from the profound to the mundane, from how we allocate millions of dollars for out-of-state direct marketing to getting the litter picked up off the highway so we can make a good first impression on our guests.
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