Tourism Talk | Southwest Airlines won't tamp fares

Southwest Airlines started flying to four cities from Charleston today, and, although fares are expected to fall there, the price drop won't extend to Myrtle Beach, an aviation consultant said.

"It won't lower fares in Myrtle Beach because you already have low fares," said Michael Boyd of Boyd Group International, Inc.

"You've got a lot more low fare service with Spirit [Airlines] and Allegiant [Air] than our friends down there in Charleston are ever going to have."

Southwest likely won't impact fares or the number of fliers to and from Myrtle Beach International Airport, airport officials said.

"Initially people will say, 'Oh Southwest is nearby,' but when you look at Southwest and their fare structure, it's really not conducive to the Myrtle Beach market," Myrtle Beach International Airport Director Michael La Pier said. "They are really a mature discount carrier so they aren't as aggressive with their fares."

Southwest's new flights this year to Charleston and Greenville may help draw the attention of other carriers to consider new flights to all destinations in the state, including Myrtle Beach, La Pier said.

Horry negotiating hotel booking lawsuit

Horry County is further along than Myrtle Beach in settling a lawsuit with hotel booking websites that are accused of not paying all accommodations taxes, officials said.

Horry County and Myrtle Beach are suing a group of websites - including Hotels.com, Orbitz and others - that book rooms on the behalf of hotels, collecting a slight markup in the process. Accommodation taxes were collected on the amount that hotels receive in the transaction but were not collected on the markup, the city and county say.

The county is negotiating a settlement, said county administrator John Weaver, but Myrtle Beach is still in the discovery phase of its lawsuit, city manager Tom Leath said.

Horry County officials won't say what action they are taking on a tentative settlement offer from the website group. Weaver recommended action on the settlement in a closed county council session earlier this month, and the board voted to adopt it unanimously in open session without saying what the recommendation was.

North Myrtle Beach voted in October to accept a $192,600 settlement. Charleston and Mount Pleasant also reached settlements with the sites last year.

The amount of back taxes the websites owe the county is in the millions of dollars, Weaver said. It's still unclear whether the suit will end up being settled or going to trial, he said.

He said he won't elaborate on the negotiations until there's a conclusion in court or through a settlement.

Campaign promotes Georgetown golf

An ad campaign launched last month aims to promote golf in Georgetown County.

The Georgetown County Tourism Management Commission and Waccamaw Golf Trail partnered in a campaign including TV commercials, ads in Golf Digest and other publications and online advertising through Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday.

The commission and Waccamaw Golf Trail each invested $30,000 in the campaign, which launched Feb. 10. Litchfield Beach & Golf Resort and Pawleys Plantation will also undertake a separate $60,000 campaign promoting the area.

The commission's goal is to attract more visitors to the "Hammock Coast," a name that was picked last year to help brand Georgetown County.

The Waccamaw Golf Trail comprises 12 courses south of Myrtle Beach.

Can-Am concerts sell out

Concert tickets have sold out quickly for the Canadian-American Days Festival, indicating strong interest in the week's events, said Nora Hembree of the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce.

Two of three ticketed concerts sold out on the first day of sales, Hembree said. The only remaining tickets as of press time are for a show featuring Celtic music at Beach Church, 557 George Bishop Parkway, on Wednesday. Tickets for that event are available at the chamber, 1200 North Oak Street.

The festival's events, which began Saturday and end March 20, include a miniature golf tournament, St. Patrick's Day celebrations, an expo with live music and a speech by the Canadian consul general to Atlanta. For more information, go to GrandStrandEvents.com/CanAmDays.