In 2011, TripAdvisor rated Myrtle Beach, South Carolina the number one beach destination in the US. Google rated Myrtle Beach number two for the summer 2011 — no doubt a sign of the Myrtle Beach area’s successful marketing and promotion campaigns. They have especially emphasized online marketing campaigns. These campaigns are financed by a “tourism development fee” — a one percent tax, which is part of a 9 percent tax levied on retail sales. For accommodations, the fee is part of a total 13 percent tax and for prepared food, it is 11.5 percent.

Myrtle Beach attracts over 13 million visitors a year and generates over $25 million just from the development fee. Gross retail sales for the area were estimated at over $2 billion for Myrtle Beach alone.

To learn more about Myrtle Beach’s marketing strategies, click here.