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Columbia, S.C. – Strong consumer demand has driven record-breaking success for hotels and vacation rentals across the Palmetto State. According to the latest figures from the South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism (SCPRT), hotels and vacation rentals saw record revenues for the 2023 fiscal year, which ended on June 30.

At a time when consumers are placing a higher priority on travel, South Carolina is continuing our strategic destination marketing efforts and steadily increasing our supply of hotel rooms and vacation rentals. Those factors have helped us capture increased visitor demand at our destinations across the state.

“South Carolina has an incomparable cultural and natural heritage, and our hardworking people and genuine hospitality make us an unbeatable place to live, work, and visit," said Governor Henry McMaster. "I commend our tourism industry on reaching this milestone, and I acknowledge and celebrate the positive impact these record numbers have on the state’s overall economy and quality of life.”

Despite facing immense challenges over the past three years – from the COVID pandemic to labor shortages, supply chain challenges, inflation, and more – South Carolina hotels and vacation rentals are outpacing pre-pandemic figures. Revenue Per Available Room¹ (RevPAR) is up 12% for hotels and 35% for vacation rentals compared to pre-pandemic levels. Rental Nights Sold² are also up compared to FY19, with a 4% growth for hotels and an incredible 68% growth for vacation rentals.

“These numbers reflect just how busy our hotels and vacation homes have been, and highlight two other important factors positively impacting our tourism industry,” said Duane Parrish, SCPRT Director. “These numbers show how popular South Carolina is as a destination, and they show how much importance travelers are putting on vacations. Nationwide, business travel and international travel are still not where we were before the pandemic. To reach these records today highlights that people are choosing to spend their hard-earned dollars on travel – and that’s great news for our estimated $29 billion tourism industry.”

The hospitality and tourism industry employs 1 in 10 South Carolinians and contributes billions of dollars in state and local tax collections. It’s an important driver of South Carolina’s overall economy, particularly along the coast.

After 10 consecutive years of growth, 2020 delivered a major hit on the state’s tourism industry, as travel screeched to a halt around the globe, quickly followed by massive drops in revenues and extensive layoffs across the sector. By 2021, the scene was shifting, and “cabin fever” fueled what many experts referred to as “revenge tourism,” as visitors were eager for getaways that offered a change of scenery.  

Since then, steady growth in the industry has continued, and not just for the lodging sector. Outdoor recreation also continues to outperform pre-pandemic levels, and South Carolina State Parks are proud to report record RevPAR on their campgrounds this fiscal year as well.

“Our State Parks continue to be wildly popular, and we offer a variety of lodging options in our parks from the mountains to the coast,” said Parrish. “We have accommodations that you might expect in state parks – like rustic camper cabins and lakeside, beachfront, and backcountry campsites – but we also offer the unexpected, which helps us attract visitors with a variety of interests and budgets. Stay in one of our charming historic cabins built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s, or in a well-appointed lakefront villa at Devils Fork on Lake Jocassee or at Dreher Island on Lake Murray. For those really looking to splurge, we offer private rentals of St. Phillips Island and the Ted Turner House. When we say we offer something for everyone, we mean it.”

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¹SCPRT partners with leading data providers STR, LLC/STR Global, Ltd. and AirDNA to track these figures. STR calls RevPAR “the hospitality industry’s gold standard for measuring top-line performance in a hotel portfolio, market segment or geographic area.” RevPAR is rental revenue for a defined time period divided by rental nights available for that same time period.

² Rental nights sold refers to both paid room-nights sold for hotels and paid rental-nights sold for vacation rentals.