The Myrtle Beach area tourism industry is the largest in the Grand Strand. With over 20 million visitors annually, Myrtle Beach offers tremendous opportunities in the hospitality and tourism industry. Cultural tourism and other niche markets are also being explored . The Myrtle Beach economy is heavily dependent upon leisure travel and that is directly impacted by consumer confidence. Fortunately, U.S. Consumer Confidence continues to surge as of August 2018 reaching 133.4, a near 18-year high, and future forecasts remain strong. This report offers an in-depth analysis of the Myrtle beach tourism while, at the same time throwing light on the tourist perception drivers, emerging trends, customer beliefs, and much more in order to identify the investment opportunities.
The analysis is based on customer reviews and conversations online in the segment. The analysis results presented are completely unbiased and not based on any subjective judgment. The source data used for the analysis are user conversations available publicly online like public forums and social media.
Tourism has emerged as an important leisure activity due to its growing acceptance and health benefits. If a tourist destination can satisfy the needs of tourists, it leads to not just repeat visits but spreading the positive word to their friends and family. The selection of a tourist destination is greatly influenced by the tourists’ motives, attitudes, and perceptions. Perception plays an integral part in tourist behavior.
Customer perception is a process where a customer collects information about a product and interprets the information to make a meaningful image of a particular product. When a customer sees advertisements, promotions, customer reviews, social media feedback, etc. relating to a product, they develop an impression about the product.
Consumer perception plays a vital role in consumer behavior thereby affecting the demand for a product. Hence it becomes key to understand the attitude that influences consumer behavior.
Through a detailed analysis of 3,311 tourist conversations, Clootrack has created a list of the top four perception drivers that tourists consider before visiting Myrtle Beach.
“I visit Myrtle beach at least 3 times in a year, it is my go to place to relax on the beach – so many different things to do while visiting”, says a tourist who is awestruck by the beauty of the beach.
With an iconic 60 miles of soft, white sandy beach and sparkling, warm waters, Myrtle Beach is a grand attraction for tourists offering endless possibilities. Whatever beach activity floats your boat – beach volleyball, surfing the waves, swimming, Frisbee throwing, or just old plain lounging – Myrtle Beach has enough space.
Myrtle Beach is a great place to enjoy not just spectacular ocean views. but enjoy the nice walk beside the ocean, hear the waves, and stop for a drink along the way.
There is no dearth of attractions for a tourist on Myrtle Beach. A morning stroll in the Brookgreen Gardens is a great way to appreciate nature and sing with the birds, as well as the tranquil and peaceful trodding of the Conway Riverwalk. The Murrells Inlet MarshWalk is also a scenic beauty, a place popular for stretching those legs after a belly-full of savory shrimps and crab legs.
Other popular attractions include the Myrtle Beach SkyWheel, the biggest Ferris wheel on the East Coast, with the highest view of the Atlantic Ocean and a beautiful view of the city’s skyline as well. In addition, the Boardwalk, is a 1.2-mile breath-taking attraction that emphasizes the pride and joy of the former attraction. And if tourists are afraid of heights-not to worry, the nearby LandShark Bar and Grill can give them liquid courage.
For those seeking adventure, wander through the upside-down house WonderWorks. Or, perhaps fancy a little bit of learning by journeying under the sea at Ripley’s Aquarium. The Pirate’s Voyage and Medieval Times present a thrilling escapade to those Gothic enthusiasts. Moreover, it would be a shame to pass up live entertainment shows at the Carolina Opry and the theaters, Alabama Theatre, Legends in Concert, and GTS Theatre, among the many others. Lastly, there are over 600 fine art events each year!
In Myrtle Beach, no moment passes by that is dull.
Shopping has emerged as the 3rd top driver, complementing the other top perception drivers in the Grand Strand. The Grand Strand region offers some retail therapy for those in need, from the best and most affordable beachwear to find clothes for a theatrical experience. For visiting shopaholics, the wide array of fantastic stores in the Myrtle Beach area will keep any vacationer busy.
Tourists can shop till their drop at the Coastal Grand Mall, Broadway at the Beach, The Market Common, and Barefoot Landing for that perfect pair of pants, souvenirs, and romantic gifts or just a few trinkets and memorabilia to carry back.
Shoppers are expecting to be spoiled for choice in various shopping malls, specialty shops, factory outlets, and flea markets. Visitors need to be offered numerous options to indulge at upscale retail stores or enjoy outdoor shopping complexes.
Tourists are looking out for a place to fill their belly after partaking in the delights of Myrtle Beach, and as such, they won’t go hungry at every turn of Myrtle Beach. If visitors wander off and find themselves at the Murrells Inlet Marsh Walk, rest assured they have stumbled upon the “Seafood Capital of South Carolina.” It's worth having a taste of the amazing seafood recipes offered by culinary masters who’ve spent their entire lives in the beach kitchens.
For those who are vegan and have been passionately following a plant-based diet, there is no disappointment. Myrtle Beach offers vegan food, and tourists will really be happy (and full!) with all the yummy meals that they will discover on the beach.
A vacation is the best time to step out and away from the daily grind and explore a new adventure. For savvy travelers, in particular, Myrtle beach offers a great time to enjoy the weather, stunning beaches, loads of shopping, and many other tourist attractions. For foodies, there is nothing above a delicious culinary challenge, and Myrtle Beach doesn’t disappoint! The adventure-seeking tourists will be ecstatic with the highest and longest parasailing experience at up to 500 feet above the ocean where they can get a bird’s-eye view of the entire Myrtle Beach area.
Truly, in Myrtle Beach, happiness comes in waves!!
The travel and tourism sector is witnessing a sea change with some new trends that are supplementing the already established trends in the sector. These trends include wellness tourism, eco-friendly tours, solo trips, pocket-friendly traveling, road trips, high technology in booking hotel rooms, well-planned package tours, and so on. These trends are expanding the horizon of the tourism industry and generating newer avenues for revenue creation.
Here are a few emerging trends that can redefine the way beach tourism is conducted:
The effects of global warming and unsustainable living are catching up, and with that, behaviors are changing for the better!!
To reduce fuel consumption and oil residues in the lovely waters, some tourists sites have employed the use of the affluent four-stroke engines. If you get a chance to visit the Blue Wave Adventures Dolphin Watch and Eco Tours, you’ll discover how committed the community is to eco-friendly options. With this engine, the emissions of the motors are much cleaner compared to the previous two-stroke or diesel boat engines.
How about a solar-heated bathhouse to wash off the fatigue and rejuvenate? Ocean Lakes Family Campground, in part of its successfully launched iCare Program, is currently testing its first solar water heated bathhouse. This program is aimed at reducing the environmental impact of the tourists and staff alike, also focusing on pet pollution, litter, recycling, and proper stormwater drainage.
In addition, electricity is an important factor to consider. Energy use through electricity should be limited, and thus, Murrells Inlet Marsh Walk decided to switch to using the more efficient CFL bulbs. Furthermore, they reduced their print from four times a year to twice a year and even added an e-newsletter, uploading it twice a month.
Technology has become a prime factor, and hence hotels recognize the importance of technology in attracting prospective guests. Proper use of technology can facilitate self-check-in and check-out using electronic kiosks, online payments, and even online booking, which offers great convenience to the guests.
Rooms equipped with Internet of Things (IoT) elements like Amazon’s Alexa allow the guests to simply speak out their requests and be served in an instant.
The introduction of technology also improves the efficiency and functioning of your hotel. A number of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) suites are available that help in managing the internal processes.
Myrtle Beach has taken water conservation to the next level. By incorporating novel technologies, one would only think of them from a Sci-Fi movie, they have truly shown us that it is not impossible to realize the conservation dream. Some of the technologies incorporated include:
Most beach Resorts are not left behind in inculcating water-saving technologies. They have installed low-flow water shower heads and sensor-activated dispensers for towels and amenities in all guest rooms.
Freedom of choice is an important factor to consider when drawing in consumers. As such, most attractions and entertainment destinations in the Myrtle Beach area offer the consumer the freedom of choice to select their lodging, entertainment, and cultural activities they wish to partake in, and the attractions and fine dining they wish to enjoy during their relaxing getaway.
Customized packages and tours also provide discounts to consumers. Most offers are promoted during seasons, which it’s the opportune time to get together with family and friends and enjoy.
To offer a memorable travel experience, it's important to understand what goes on in the traveler’s mind. The travelers come with a set of beliefs, which they have either experienced or heard from online reviews. When it comes to Myrtle Beach, tourists have their own sets of beliefs.
Here is a list of beliefs that are collected based on numerous conversations happening all over the internet.
Safety is the primary concern of any traveler. Tourists would like to enjoy their getaway without having to be concerned about their safety all the time.
As a provider, you have to take this burden away from them and install various security measures and policies that will protect your customers and provide an exhilarating experience.
It goes without saying that quality service breeds customer satisfaction. Ensure your hotel staff is courteous and respectful to the customer, as this will have a positive impact on your establishment. A friendly staff may even make the customer forget smaller bad experiences they encountered in your establishment during their stay, for instance, malfunctioned light switches and broken showerheads or even busted power sockets.
The way to a customer’s heart is quality service and also good food. Quality and nutritious food bring the customer back to you. Poorly prepared food or stale and rancid food products will only negatively impact your establishment. Therefore, if you own a restaurant in the region, focus on clean, quality, and nutritious recipes.
Since tourists are of different age brackets, it would only be logical to provide suitable entertainment for every age bracket. If you own an entertainment spot or visual attraction, ensure you cater to the various ages that may want to be entertained at your spot. For children, think bouncing castles, video game arcade attractions, and for teenagers and young adults, shopping malls, swimming pools, and social places with the internet will do the trick. For the adults, you can have entertainment clubs, golf courses, beach games, a 24-hrs open bar, theater for movies and operas, to mention a few.
Consumer-generated content (CGC) is growing by the day and gaining greater importance. Online travel reviews written by tourists and travelers are throwing light on the preferences and choices of travelers. This is helping the tourism industry to understand the perceptions and beliefs of tourists, thereby offering the opportunity to better the customer experience.
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