Myrtle Beach’s hotels are filling faster than most US destinations. Here’s the latest
Even as coronavirus cases spike in the Myrtle Beach area, it has not slowed the stream of people looking for an escape from the pandemic.
Hotel occupancy rates across the Grand Strand are nearing pre-pandemic levels as the area approaches the peak of the summer tourism season.
Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Karen Riordan said the latest figures — which ended May 31 — showed hotel occupancy rate at about 60 percent.
That is 17 percent behind the same week in 2019, but it’s still welcome news. The 60 percent rate is ahead of the 40 percent occupancy rate that was predicted during the pandemic.
“Overall, we have been pleasantly surprised by the level of demand,” Riordan said.
A study by the Coastal Carolina University Clay Brittain Jr. Center for Resort Tourism found that between May 31 and June 6, the Grand Strand saw about 70 percent of its hotel rooms occupied. That is down from 78.6 percent for the same week in 2019.
Nationwide, the hotel occupancy rate was a tick below 40 percent for May 31 through June 6, according to STR, a hospitality analyst group.
Of the top 25 markets, seven saw rates above 40 percent, including the Norfolk/Virginia Beach area at 48.4 percent and Phoenix at 44.7 percent.
A release from STR with the data alludes to leisure spots in Florida, Texas and South Carolina with the highest occupancy rates. STR officials did not respond to a request for that data.
The Myrtle Beach area saw occupancy rates dip as low as two percent in April during the height of the pandemic. At that time, hotels and attractions were closed by government mandate. South Carolina and other states were under “work or home” orders.
Some feared that even as hotels opened, people would be reluctant to travel, but that hasn’t been an issue for the Grand Strand as people look for an escape from quarantines.
“People want to be outdoors,” Riordan said.
The area has seen an influx of visitors from places within driving distance.
“Most of the license plates we see are North Carolina and South Carolina,” she said.
The return of hotel occupancy to near pre-pandemic levels has also been a boom for local businesses that depend on the tourism industry. Riordan said a majority of the chamber’s members are small businesses and she worried about them during the pandemic. With high occupancy rates, she hopes the struggling businesses will have enough revenue to make it through this season and return to normal next season.
Any return of visitors also requires education to make sure they are following local rules and guidelines as coronavirus has not disappeared, Riordan said. That includes wearing masks or gloves, she said.
The area has seen a spike in COVID-19 since the state allowed the reopening of beaches and hotels in early May. The rate has only grown worse in recent weeks.
In fact, Horry County has seen 46 percent of its total coronavirus cases added to its count in the last 10 days.
On June 1, the county had 454 confirmed coronavirus cases since it started counting in mid-March. By June 11, that figure jumped to 849 total cases. South Carolina state health officials have labeled Horry County a “hot spot” for the virus.
Health leaders and Gov. Henry McMaster have urged people to wear a mask in public and to practice social distancing to keep the virus from spreading. But, he said he doesn’t have plans to announce more business closures. On Friday, he announced retail stores can return to full occupancy.
“We all have to practice that social responsibility not becoming infected and not infecting others,” Gov. Henry McMaster said at a Wednesday news conference to address the spike in cases in South Carolina. “Whether it’s about wearing a mask, wearing shields, keeping the social distance, staying out of confined places, avoiding crowds, it’s just a question of being respectful of your fellow citizens.
“That is the only way we are going to stop this virus short of a vaccine.”
This story was originally published June 13, 2020 at 5:50 AM with the headline "Myrtle Beach’s hotels are filling faster than most US destinations. Here’s the latest."
