MYRTLE BEACH, SC (WBTW)- Grand Strand mayors met today to talk about ways to attract tourists, and keep them coming back.
Mayors of Myrtle Beach, Surfside, North Myrtle, Conway and Georgetown all in one room sharing ideas of how to grow our tourism industry and social media is a major driver.
Grand Strand mayors said each city affects the others.
“When the tide rises, every boat rises with it, so we need to make sure we’re working together to help that tide rise to lift each other up,” said Mayor Brenda Bethune.
The mayors talked about how word of mouth is crucial and social media has taken that to a new level.
The mayor of Conway discussed how they use social media to promote the city.
Mayors also discussed how to respond to negative comments. Myrtle Beach Mayor Brenda Bethune said when people talk badly about the city it hurts businesses and neighboring cities.
We asked her how the recent shootings on Ocean Boulevard and water quality advisories impact tourism.
“Anytime a city has to deal with negative publicity it can have a negative impact on your visitor base, and on the community as a whole and it isn’t just about shootings and water quality it can be about anything. We always try to be out in the forefront of what our message is and especially with social media attacks and how quickly that can get spread,” said Bethune.
Mayor Bethune said the city’s image is something they are serious about. If the city’s tourism suffers it can hurt the state’s economy. Tourism from myrtle beach brings in 19 billion dollars.
“When we send that money to the state, that helps even small rural communities and that’s our responsibility,” said Bethune.
Mayors also discussed working closely with the chamber of commerce and attracting other tourism markets like culinary travel.
