Tourism in Myrtle Beach, SC has gotten a major jolt from the Gulf Oil Spill, many are starting to ponder if this could effect the real estate market too?

It doesn’t matter whether the business is a hotel, restaurant, bar or one of the many retail stores along the Grand Strand, business is strong! All types of business owners have reported major increases in their business as a outcome of the misfortune in the Gulf. Many vacationers that typically plan to vacation in the Gulf have shifted their holiday plans because of the extreme effect the oil spill has created in the waters along the beach and resort areas. Many tourist are concern about encountering oil fouled beaches and are headed east to Myrtle Beach instead.

The North Myrtle Beach and Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce said calls seem to be flooding in from all over, mainly tourist troubled about changing their holiday location to the Grand Strand due to conditions in the Gulf.

Fishing Charters have seen as much as a thirty percent boost compared to the 2009 fishing season. Since the condition in the Gulf is out of control, many of the normal recreational anglers have began to look for new water to enter into. Currently there are about 80,000+ square miles of federal waters, that’s roughly a third of the federal waters in the Gulf, where there is currently a NO FISHING policy in effect.

ResortQuest out of Florida, that also have operations in South Carolina has booked at least $40,000 worth of their existing reservations with their Myrtle Beach property management due to their clients changing plans from the Gulf Coast. The company’s marketing executive stated that it is likely that a major portion of their $18 million dollars worth of bookings along the Gulf Coast will be routed to areas such as the Grand Strand.

Resort occupancy along the Strand are continuing to increase since the holiday weekend, but this year it is for another reason.

For the July 4th holiday weekend according to AAA there was marking a 17 percent increase from last year. Many of Myrtle Beach’s hotel owners are saying its an unfortunate situation but, the Gulf Oil spill is having a very positive impact on the Grand Strands economy.

The Carnivale Motor Inn has said that they are currently averaging 15 or more calls each day. For many resorts this is the best summer they have seen in over two years. Many resorts are saying that good majority of the visitors seem to be Floridians.

Myrtle Beach Property Managers are saying that the next market that could be affected is the real estate market. The impact of Gulf oil spill could muck up housing markets in the Gulf for years. Many Baby Boomers that may have been considering the Gulf for retirement are changing focus. The Grand Strands housing market currently has some of the best bang for your buck and retirees are starting to partake in some of the lowest prices in years.

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