Toronto Market Initiative

Tuesday’s lead editorial praises the work that drew a direct flight from Myrtle Beach to Toronto.

Myrtle and Leonard Klinck are back in Myrtle Beach for a month from their home in the Canadian province of Ontario, but this year they flew on Porter Airlines’ new Toronto-Myrtle Beach flight. The Klincks have been driving to Myrtle Beach for 20 years and were happy to be able to cut their travel time to just under two hours. This year their children are driving. Other passengers on the first flight also were pleased, and area tourism officials hope the Porter flights will help grow the number of Canadian visitors to the Grand Strand.

Sunday’s arrival was the first of Porter’s seasonal twice-weekly (Sundays and Thursdays) trips between Toronto and Myrtle Beach. The Toronto-Myrtle Beach service is scheduled through May 30.

Another arrival on Sunday was Mike Currie, with a few golfer friends. He says he and his family have been coming here for years, and now, with the Porter flights, he can increase his visits. “Now we can come down for golf three or four times a year,” he says. The drive is about 18 hours, a trip one doesn’t ordinarily plan on doing more than once a year.

Porter flies from Toronto’s Billy Bishop Airport, near the heart of downtown Toronto. Billy Bishop is a secondary airport, and Porter is the main tenant, much like Southwest uses Midway in Chicago and Love Field in Dallas. Porter also does not charge its customers for baggage, snacks or drinks.

So the added Porter flights have the potential of bringing Canadians such as Currie here more often as well as attracting new visitors. Representatives from the Grand Strand are going to Toronto on that mission. New flights don’t start without a lot of preliminary effort. The Porter service represents such work by the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce and Myrtle Beach International Airport.

Sunday’s arrival was the first of Porter’s seasonal twice-weekly (Sundays and Thursdays) trips between Toronto and Myrtle Beach. The Toronto-Myrtle Beach service is scheduled through May 30.

Another arrival on Sunday was Mike Currie, with a few golfer friends. He says he and his family have been coming here for years, and now, with the Porter flights, he can increase his visits. “Now we can come down for golf three or four times a year,” he says. The drive is about 18 hours, a trip one doesn’t ordinarily plan on doing more than once a year.

Porter flies from Toronto’s Billy Bishop Airport, near the heart of downtown Toronto. Billy Bishop is a secondary airport, and Porter is the main tenant, much like Southwest uses Midway in Chicago and Love Field in Dallas. Porter also does not charge its customers for baggage, snacks or drinks.

So the added Porter flights have the potential of bringing Canadians such as Currie here more often as well as attracting new visitors. Representatives from the Grand Strand are going to Toronto on that mission. New flights don’t start without a lot of preliminary effort. The Porter service represents such work by the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce and Myrtle Beach International Airport.