Tourism: Economic Development That Won

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Tourism Economic Development That Wont Go
Offshore!

• Dr. Rich Harrill
• Director
• International Tourism Research Institute
• University of South Carolina

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About the Institute for Tourism Research

• Provides tourism research and development
  projects to local, state, and regional clients
• Customer segmentation, market profiling, market
  feasibility, economic impact, economic
  feasibility, and tourism planning

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Comprehensive Tourism Project

• Asset Inventory and Evaluation
• Economic Impact
• Market Segmentation Analysis

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Tourisms Impact on South Carolinas Economy

• Identified as one of four major economic
  development clusters by the South Carolina
  Competitiveness Initiative (Porter 2003)
• 9.6 billion impact on gross state product
• 1.0 billion in state and local tax revenues
• 188,250 employment impact

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The Big Three Nature-Based Tourism

• Dauphin Island, Alabamabirdwatchers paradise
• Average expenditure 354 per trip
• Direct spending 213 per trip
• Total annual expenditure 7.1 million
• Local impact 4.3 million

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The Big Three Heritage Tourism

• In 1996, tourists in Georgia spent 453 million
  on historic-related activities
• 1 million spent on historic rehabilitation in
  Georgia means
• 31 jobs
• 819,000 in household and business earnings
• 2.3 million in total economic activity

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The Big Three Agritourism

• Pike County, Illinois
• 14.11 million in annual expenditures
• 1.96 million in annual payroll
• 860,000 in annual state taxes
• 730,000 in annual local taxes

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Heard County Greenways Economic Impact

• Visitors, Business Revenues, Salary and Benefits,
  Full and Part-Time Employment, Sales Tax Revenues
• 10 547,500 186,000 18 17,842
• 20 1,095,000 372,000 35 35,683
• 30 1,642,500 558,000 53 53,525
• 40 2,190,00 744,000 70 71,367
• 50 2,737,500 930,000 88 89,209

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Heard County Greenways Economic Impact

• Room nights, Business Revenues, Salary and
  Benefits, Full and Part-Time Employment, Sales
  Tax Revenues
• .5 248,864 84,545 8 8,110
• 1 487,727 169,091 16 16,220
• 1.5 746,591 253,636 24 24,330
• 2 995,455 338,182 32 32,439
• 2.5 1,244,318 422,727 40 40,549

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Claritas PRIZM

• Neighborhood lifestyle segmentation system based
  on the idea that birds of a feather flock
  together.

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Heard County State Parks Top Cluster

• Fast-Track Families
• Upper-middle-class incomes
• Numerous children and spacious homes
• Buy latest technology, include new computers
• Enjoy camping, boating, and fishing
• Invests in recreation equipment
• Read Family Fun, Sport Truck, North American
  Hunter, and Redbook

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Franklin D. Roosevelt State Park Visitors
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Origins of Franklin D. Roosevelt State Park
Visitors
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Origins of Franklin D. Roosevelt State Park Top
Clusters
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Franklin D. Roosevelt State Park Hot Markets
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South Carolina Competitiveness Initiative

• Identify highly attractive, high-spending tourist
  segments
• Determine how South Carolina can best package its
  tourism assets to attract these segments
• Execute on a strategy that creates and markets
  this new destination.

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Getting Started

• Presentations
• Proposals
• Committees

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Contact

• E-mail rharrill_at_gwm.sc.edu
• Phone [phone]
• Fax [phone]