Tourism & Coastal Management: Myrtle Beach, S.C. By Jennifer Arp

Grand Strand extends 60 miles from SC border south to Pawleys island Myrtle Beach coast ~9miles Myrtle beach has the greatest economic and developmental impact on the Grand Strand

South Carolina Coastal Zone Management Act of 1977 Myrtle Beach Farms Inc. 1954 Hurricane Hazel South Carolina Coastal Zone Management Act of 1977 Myrtle Beach Farms Inc established 1912 promoted for wealthy Development was slow included luxery hotels, golf couses, cottages 1954 Hazel hit Survival-promoted beach as place for middle class working family Development went into high gear 1972-Federal coast zone management act passed 1977 south Carolina passed Set their line of jurisdiction too small Led to high development directly on beach, great loss of natural coastal ecosystem

Beachfront Management Act of 1988 Due to high development and natural erosional forces, Myrtle Beach was losing its beaches Lots of Hard structures were emplaced to protect structures at the expense of the beach In response to losing beaches the state passed the 1988 act which increased state jurisdiction of beach, and stricter rules: no new hard structure promotes soft structure.

Why Do They Care? 30.4 million visitors 50% Beach 37% Shopping 18% Golf/Tennis Why do they care? Figures based on 1998 report from Department of Tourism

Tourist Profile Middle class families Stay mainly in hotels for 3.4 days Spend $353

$ = Economic Impacts Travel Expenditures~$2 billion Investments ~$270 million Employment ~41,000 jobs Wages Earned ~$550 million Taxes ~$200 million $ =

Management=Tourism=$ 50 yr project -$54 million Tourism `98 ~$4 billion Therefore it can be concluded that renourishment is a necessary and sound investment to save the beaches and therefore ensure the continuum of the tourism industry.

References   http://www.beachbrowser.com/Archives/Environment/August-99/North-Myrtle-Beach-The-Worlds-Widest-Beach.htm http://www.csc.noaa.gov/products/sccoasts/html/renmyrt.htm http://www.insiders.com/myrtle-beach/main-history2.htm#Heading1 http://www.mbchamber.com/titlepage.html http://www.myscgov.com/SCSGPortal/static/environment_tem1.html http://www.ocrm.nos.noaa.gov/