Officials want More Tourists on SC’s Scenic Byways

Officials say they want more focus on South Carolina’s little-known destinations as they try to expand the state’s tourism industry. State leaders gathered at the Statehouse on Wednesday to announce a new $50,000 grant from Duke Energy. Tourism officials say the grant will allow them to create a plan that better promotes the four scenic byways that make up the South Carolina National Heritage Corridor. The Heritage Corridor consists of 14 counties. It begins in Charleston and snakes it way 240 miles through the Lower and Upper Savannah regions before ending in Oconee County. The new grant will allow researchers at the Alfred P. Sloan Institute to collaborate with the the state Department of Transportation and the Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism to create a management, development, and marketing plan for the state’s scenic byways. The Sloan Institute’s earlier study found the 14 counties in the corridor hosted more than 9 million tourists who generated $624 million in direct economic impact. Officials hope the Duke Energy grant, which was funded with money from shareholders, not ratepayers, will help spur improvements in the region.