Winslow's Word: February 2023
With record-setting passenger counts at the airport (5.3 million passengers in 2022!), myriad travel magazine accolades, and hotel room rates soaring – Charleston no doubt remains a top destination for visitors. Consequently, tourism management remains a top priority for HCF, and we are focused on working with the city and industry partners to development a new tourism management plan. The last plan was adopted in 2015, and nearly all of its goals and directives have been accomplished. The travel environment has changed dramatically since then, influenced by new technology, the pandemic, and other factors.Last October, we hosted a Tourism Forum along with City of Charleston Office of Livability and Tourism Management and Explore Charleston to provide “state of the union” on tourism to serve as a resource for Charleston residents to receive information directly from the sources and to have an opportunity to ask questions of community leaders. If you missed that forum, click here, or watch the recorded video, below. At that forum we also announced, through a partnership with the city and Explore Charleston, we have engaged the Riley Center for Livable Communities at the College of Charleston to conduct an independent analysis and assessment of tourism. The goal of the work with the Riley Center is to produce a shared community vision for tourism and to inform a new city tourism management plan focused on resident quality of life. But that work is not possible without your voice and engagement!The Riley Center team have developed a survey to assess the entire community’s thoughts on tourism, and your participation is critical.
