Inside the Industry

Freestyle Music Park shows off new Web site

Freestyle Music Park, formerly known as Hard Rock Park, unveiled a redesigned Web site today -- still located at www.freestylemusicpark.com -- that includes more detailed information about the park and its attractions.

Site features include photos and videos about the park, a blog, a news and information section, a list of rides, shows and attractions, a calendar of events and a park map. Potential visitors can also purchase tickets online, as was available at the old site.

Chamber to release updated tourism study next week

The Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce will release an updated tourism study next week highlighting the impact of an expanded TV advertising campaign on potential travelers, the chamber said in a news release today.

A reception will be held Thurs., July 9 at 10 a.m. at the Sheraton Myrtle Beach Convention Center Hotel in meeting rooms 206 and 208. The event is open to the public, but registration is required -- call 916-7281 by July 6.

An economic update will also be provided by Coastal Carolina University.

The chamber had borrowed additional funds to increase its late spring advertising campaign in anticipation that the Myrtle Beach City Council would approve a 1 percent sales tax increase to pay for new out-of-market advertising. The council eventually voted in favor of the tax increase, which will also eventually provide property tax relief for residents who own and live in their homes.

The study was conducted by Equation Research, which was retained by the chamber in 2007 to conduct quarterly surveys to monitor attitudes and preferences for travelers to Myrtle Beach.

Myrtle Beach ranks in Priceline.com popularity survey for July 4

Myrtle Beach ranked as the 31st most popular destination for the upcoming July 4 weekend, according to a survey based on credit card bookings and compiled by travel reservations Web site priceline.com.

In a news release, princeline.com said that travel trends for the upcoming weekend reflect the down economy since many of the destinations that appeared on the list, which numbered 50 places, are reachable by car -- and cheaper to get to -- for large segments of the population.

Topping the list was New Orleans, Las Vegas, Chicago, New York City and Seattle. Myrtle Beach competitor Virginia Beach, Va., ranked 25th, but Myrtle Beach beat out Hilton Head, which ranked 32nd, Charleston, which ranked 45th, and Ocean City, Md., which ranked 47th.

Myrtle Beach management company takes over eight hotels

Strand Development Co., which manages 40 hotels across the South and is based in Myrtle Beach, is assuming management responsibilities for eight Affordable Suites hotels, including one in Myrtle Beach, according to a news release.

The company, which operates most of its hotels through franchise agreements with Marriott, Hilton and other hotels, said its new partnership with the Affordable Suites brand will allow that brand to transition more to electronic distribution and allow online reservations to be made.

The eight hotels are designed to be an alternative to temporary housing without requiring a lease to be signed. Reservations can be made by calling the properties directly, but online reservations should be able to be made at www.affordablesuites.com within 90 days, the news release says.

Aside from Myrtle Beach, the Affordable Suites properties are located at Sumter, Florence, Charlottesville, Va., Gastonia, N.C., Lexington, N.C., Salisbury, N.C. and Shelby, N.C.

Myrtle Beach air carrier cuts new route

Direct Air, a Myrtle Beach-based public charter air carrer, has cut a new route from Myrtle Beach to Kalamazoo, Mich., citing low demand due to the down economy.

The carrier was supposed to start service between the two cities in March, but pushed back the start date to April, said Judy Tull, the airline's chief executive. Only a few flights were operated before the route was pulled.

"When we worked with the airport authority up there, with the economy the way it is, they're an hour to the beach at Lake Michigan and they just felt that's one of the reasons that it wasn't selling," Tull said. "You have all the car companies up there, and there' s been a lot of reduction in jobs."

The carrier is extending service throughout the winter to Plattsburgh, N.Y., which serves Montreal; Niagara Falls, N.Y., which serves Toronto; and Pittsburgh. But Tull said the carrier might stop flights to Rockford, Ill., and Allentown, Pa., earlier than the original September end date.

The air carrier is also flying from Myrtle Beach to Newark throughout the winter.

NMB chamber: Spring ad blitz showing results

A $250,000 spring advertising blitz jointly funded by the North Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce and the city of North Myrtle Beach is showing results, yielding increased inquiries on the chamber's Web site, Marc Jordan, its president and CEO, said today.

There were more than 23,000 Web-related inquiries in March, April and May of 2009, up 106 percent from the same period in 2008, according to chamber statistics. The interactive marketing efforts generated more than 41,000 visits to the Web site.

The city is contributing $200,000 to the blitz, which is primarily Internet and print advertising, and the chamber is putting up the rest, Jordan said. It remains to be seen how many of those who request information actually visit the city, but the results show the chamber is on the right track, he said.

"You figure if you double your inquiries, you've got to be making some progress," he said. "It does indicate that somebody's interested in you."

The campaign runs through June.

North Myrtle Beach chamber receives national accreditation

The North Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce has been recognized by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce for high standards of operation, months after the organization also recognized the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce.

The North Myrtle Beach chamber received a four-star accreditation from the national chamber, the North Myrtle Beach chamber announced on Monday. The Myrtle Beach chamber received a five-star accreditation earlier this year.

"Accreditation recognizes chambers for their high standards of practice, full accountability to members, and steadfast commitment to community," Thomas J. Donohue, president and CEO of the national chamber, said in a news release. "We applaud these organizations for advancing these principles of free enterprise."

Travel, tourism spending continue to decline in first part of 2009

Spending on travel and tourism nationwide continued to decline during the first quarter of 2009, though the rate of decline appeared to slowing, according to figures released by the Bureau of Economic Analysis today.

Spending on travel and tourism declined 5.9 percent in the first quarter after declining 6.9 percent during the final quarter of 2008, the bureau said. Spending declined even though travel and tourism prices fell 10.9 percent during the first quarter after a 16.5 percent decline in the last quarter of 2008.

Leading the price decline was passenger air transportation, which declined 28.7 percent, and traveler accommodations, which declined 15.1 percent.

Spending on passenger air transportation fell 5.8 percent during the first quarter, while spending on accommodations fell 18.6 percent, the bureau said. Retail shopping by travelers fell 1.3 percent.

Total tourism spending reached $1.2 trillion in the first three months of the year.

Passenger numbers fall in May at Myrtle Beach airport

Passenger traffic declined about 10 percent in May at Myrtle Beach International Airport, continuing a downward trend after traffic in April was largely in line with the same month last year, according to figures released by the airport on Monday.

In May, nearly 71,000 passengers arrived at the airport, down from about 79,000 during the same month last year. Nearly 72,000 people boarded airplanes at the airport, down from about 79,000 during May 2008.

In April, about 73,500 passengers boarded planes at the airport, roughly the same last year. The number of passengers arriving at the airport in April showed a slight increase over last year, to about 76,200 from about 74,600.

Overall, yearly traffic is down about 12 percent at the airport so far.

Direct Air expands fall and winter schedule

Direct Air, a Myrtle Beach-based public charter service, is expanding its fall and winter schedules this year to a number of cities from Myrtle Beach, its chief executive officer said Tuesday.

The airline started service to Springfield, Ill., and Worcester, Mass., earlier this year, and flights were originally scheduled to run through early September. Based on customer response, Judy Tull, the airline's CEO, said the routes were being continued through mid-November.

Flights to Niagara Falls, N.Y., and Plattsburgh, N.Y., which also serve Toronto and Montreal, respectively, will operate a more complete winter schedule this year, Tull said. They will run three times a week through April 2010; last year during the winter there was only limited flights during the holidays, Tull said.

Flights to Rockford, Ill., and Allentown, Pa., which also began earlier this year, will end in September as planned without any extension, Tull said. Flights to Columbus, Ohio, which the airline started in 2008, will end in mid-November this year, like it did last year, Tull said.

Flights to Newark, N.J, and Pittsburgh will also operate through the fall and winter, according to the airline's Web site, www.visitdirectair.com.