Tourism Spending continues to rise in OC

Tourism expenditures for Oconee County reached an all-time high of $53.91 million in 2013. The South Carolina Parks, Recreation and Tourism Department released the report, which is completed annually by the U.S. Travel Association. The report shows that tourism expenditures grew 2.62% from 2012 and that tourism directly supports 430 jobs in Oconee County with a payroll over $8.1 million. Tourism is responsible for over $6.1 million in local and state taxes, which helps reduce the amount of local taxes collected. Oconee County ranks 20th among the 46 counties in South Carolina and has experienced a 24% growth in tourism spending since 2006, which equals an additional $10 million annually being spent in the local economy. “Tourism is a vital piece of economic development and by continuing to make tourism promotion and product development a priority, we not only grow tourism, we also continue to improve the overall quality of life for all of us,” said Oconee County Parks, recreation and Tourism director Phil Shirley. “Tourism is one of the leading industries both nationally and internationally. It is my expectation that with the continued incredible community support of tourism, it will soon be the number one industry in Oconee County,” said Ken Sloan, President and CEO of the Mountain Lakes Convention and Visitors Bureau. The full report, “Economic Impact of travel on South Carolina 2013” is available at www.scprt.com under the tourism statics heading.