RESEARCH

HISTORIC OVERVIEW OF CHARLESTON’S TOURISM IN THE 21ST CENTURY BING PAN The City of Charleston is in the process of conducting an update to the tourism

AUGUST 12, 2014 JOHNSON HAGOOD STADIUM

management plan that was created in 1978 and revised in 1998. Input for this update is being sought from residents as well as the tourism industry. In this talk, Dr. Bing Pan from the Office of Tourism Analysis at the College of Charleston will present data from the last 20 years on the development of Charleston’s tourism industry. He will also compare the Charleston area with other communities. The city has seen a 70% increase in visitor volume over the last 20 years, while the volume in the tri-county area has grown by 76%.

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RO B B IN K N I G H T D I G ITA L PH O TO G R A P H Y

A U G U ST 12, 2014 | JO HNS O N HAGO O D S TADIU M AGENDA

I. Welcome............................................................................................. Linn Lesesne Travel Council Chairperson Charming Inns, Circa 1886 Restaurant and Kitchen 208 II. A Citadel Welcome............................................................................. Rob Acunto Interim Athletic Director The Citadel III. Research Introduction......................................................................... Perrin Lawson Deputy Director IV. Historic Overview of Charleston’s Tourism in the 21st Century.......... Bing Pan Associate Professor and Head of Research Office of Tourism Analysis, College of Charleston V. Investor Relations Update................................................................... Andy Rankin Director of Investor Relations VI. Executive Director’s Report................................................................ Perrin Lawson Deputy Director VII. Raffle & Adjourn.................................................................................. Linn Lesesne

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T RAVEL C O UNCIL MEET ING S E P T EMBER 9 | T HE A MERIC A N T HEAT ER

AB O U T T H I S V E NU E

TH E CITADE L

THE CITADEL – AVAILABLE MEETING AND EVENT SPACE FOR YOUR GROUPS Receptions, conferences, meeting space or athletic venues, The Citadel has a variety of spaces, services, and locations to accommodate your next event! The Altman Center, Pearson Club Level, The Citadel Beach House, Buyer Auditorium, and Holliday Alumni Center are just a few venues The Citadel has to offer. Please contact Danielle Dillahey or Taylor Cook about hosting your next event at The Citadel! THE CITADEL 171 Moultrie Street Charleston, SC 29409 citadelsports.com 843.953.5070

I NVESTO R R ELAT ION S MEETCHARLESTON.COM After two years of diligent research, focus groups, interviews and planning, we are very excited to announce that we will soon launch the brand new Group Sales website: meetcharleston.com. We will be unveiling this new website at the September 9 Travel Council Meeting at the American Theater, hosted by Patrick Properties. In the meantime, similar to the Official Charleston Destination Wedding Guide and weddings website, we will be offering all-inclusive advertising packages for both the Official Destination Planning Guide and meetcharleston.com. The deadline to be included in these new editions is August 29. Please contact your account representative to secure your preferred space. Martha Bratton, [email protected], Sandy Nivens, [email protected] or Andy Rankin, [email protected].

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A CELEBRATION OF CHARLESTON Where can you see our beloved destination this month? In the pages of the August Travel + Leisure, we celebrate the “#1 City in the US” and “#2 City in the World” spots with a two-page spread. There are many reasons to visit Charleston, but this ad presents ten compelling reasons why the Charleston area is simply a can’t-miss trip. In September, we’ll take a walk on the epicurean side in both Food + Wine and Bon Appétit. Charleston will also take flight in the seat pockets of 7 million readers for a special destination feature in the September US Airways Magazine. The destination feature contains four pages of CACVB advertorial, as well as pieces purchased by local businesses. Intensely pleasurable moments born of Southern ingredients and heirloom recipes spring forth at every meal.

In addition, our ever-expanding digital presence will include native content on both cntraveler.com and bonappetit.com. C’est très magnifique, y’all!

CulinaryCharleston.com

GRO UP SA LES AUGUST IS TRADE SHOW MONTH! CVB staff will be attending the following trade shows: MPI World Education Congress, Corporate Market - Chris Hendrix American Society of Association Executives, Association Market - Angie Day Connect Market Place, Regional Associations - Chris Hendrix

Angie Day, CVB Sales Manager, is pictured above on a site visit with some Association of State Floodplain Managers who recently came to Charleston.

Going On Faith, Religious Market - John Michael McCants Charlotte Bridal Show - Mary Crawford Connect Sports Market Place - Kathleen Cartland

Above, Bryn Riley, Charleston Tea Plantation and Dee & Steve Everidge, Shenandoah Tours joined Jennifer Aiken (not pictured), Tour and Travel Sales Manager, at the South Carolina Motor Coach Regional Meeting in late July.

CH A RLESTON GOLF Is your hotel interested in reaching the golf group market? If so, a partnership with Charleston & Resort Islands Golf (CGI) could be a great option for your property to capture more business. Membership listings for the 2014-2015 Charleston Area Golf Guide are coming to a close soon. If you would like to offer golf packages and be represented through CGI’s reservation and sales center, email Shannon Odom at [email protected] for more information on how you can get involved.

CH A RLESTON A R EA S PORT S C O M M I S S I O N CHARL ESTON SC …. EVERYTHING AND WATER! Charleston Watersports Week, September 5-14, 2014 Charleston Watersports Week is a new, multi-day event designed to put everyone on the water -- for competitions, recreational activities and leisure fun. It will attract a broad cross-section of attendees, specifically out of the local area, who have an active lifestyle and an interest in water-based activities. The 10-day event series includes a unique combination of venues, accommodations, restaurants, attractions and tour operators which are spread out over the entire Charleston region. watersportsweek.com

THE CHARLESTON WATERSPORTS WEEK EXPO The CWW EXPO will be held on September 12-14 at the Charleston Maritime Center and includes exhibitors and vendors showcasing products and services related to water recreation. Happy Hour On The Harbor will be held on Friday (9/12), 5-8pm and open to the public, with free parking and admission. Plans for the inaugural year include hundreds of local residents and regional visitors taking part in this annual celebration.

CH A RLESTON R ES TA U R A NT AS S O C I AT I O N

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For participating establishments, menus and special offers visit CharlestonRestaurantAssociation.com V ISITO R SER V IC ES VISITOR CENTER NUMBERS FOR JULY 2014: Visitor Count Through Our Area Visitor Centers In July 2014: 73,287 Lowcountry Reservation Services (LRS) Rooms (Booked Same Night Through Our Visitor Centers) July 2014: 312 Reservations

MEDIA HIGH L IGH T S

Charleston was named the No. 1 City in the U.S. and Canada according to Travel + Leisure’s (circulation: 974,972) 2014 World’s Best Awards. Charleston also ranked No. 2 City in the World in the annual readers’ poll. The announcement was shared on MSNBC’s Morning Joe. Other Charleston winners in the 2014 World’s Best Awards Survey include: TOP SMALL CITY HOTELS IN THE CONTINENTAL U.S. (FEWER THAN 100 ROOMS): 1. Planters Inn 2. French Quarter Inn 4. Wentworth Mansion 5. Market Pavilion Hotel TOP HOTELS OVERALL (WORLDWIDE): 26. Planters Inn 54. French Quarter Inn 85. Wentworth Mansion TOP ISLANDS IN CONTINENTAL U.S. AND CANADA

TOP RESORTS IN THE CONTINENTAL U.S.

5. Kiawah Island

29. The Sanctuary at Kiawah Island Golf Resort

In its article, “Great Urban Weekend Escapes: Charleston, S.C.,” forbes.com (17,043,527 unique monthly visitors) mentioned Fort Sumter, Magnolia Plantation and Gardens, Middleton Place Plantation, Patriots Point Naval and Maritime Museum, Charleston Tea Plantation, South Carolina Aquarium, Belmond Charleston Place, Charleston Grill, Market Pavilion Hotel, Grill 225, Planters Inn, Peninsula Grill, Kiawah Island Golf Resort, The Ocean Room, Historic Charleston City Market, Home Team BBQ, Husk, High Cotton, Hominy Grill, McCrady’s, and Cypress.

Joe Diaz with AFAR highlighted the Charleston area in a segment on NBC’s TODAY Show (audience of 5,000,000+). The Ordinary and King Charles Inn were mentioned.

Co-hosts Lara Spencer and Amy Robach chose Charleston as their favorite place to visit on ABC’s Good Morning America. Planters Inn and Peninsula Grill’s Ultimate Coconut™ cake were also mentioned.

Planters Inn, Zero George Street, Belmond Charleston Place, French Quarter Inn, Harbourview Inn, Wentworth Mansion, The Vendue, John Rutledge House Inn, the Market Pavilon Hotel, and The Mills House Wyndham Grand Hotel were named the top 10 most romantic places to stay in Charleston on 10best.com (409,441 unique monthly visitors).