‘Tis the season for a beach vacation?

As Grand Strand businesses start to deck out for the holidays, tourism promoters are rolling out their annual ad campaign touting theater shows and shopping aiming to entice some travelers to add a trip to Myrtle Beach to their holiday wish lists.

Some online ads promoting a holiday getaway already have started popping up, and TV ads are expected to start next week in roughly 20 nearby markets, said Nora Battle, spokeswoman for the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce, which is doing the campaign.

The TV ads will focus on places where it’s convenient to drive to the Grand Strand, with a particular emphasis on North Carolina. The TV ads also will air in West Virginia, New York and possibly Tennessee and Atlanta, Battle said.

The Grand Strand – known as a usual summer getaway spot – does get some business from visitors in November and December who come to the area to meet relatives and celebrate Thanksgiving, catch some of the holiday-themed live theater shows or shop.

The ads will aim to use those offerings to entice folks to visit during the upcoming holiday period.

“It’s a message of taking a holiday getaway,” Battle said. “There is definitely a focus on the entertainment aspect.”

About 60 percent of the campaign will be digital, with online videos and ads, Battle said.

Battle said she didn’t yet have an exact figure of how much the chamber will spend on this campaign, but said it would be in the six figures.

Contact DAWN BRYANT at 626-0296 or at dbryant@thesunnews.com or follow her at Twitter.com/TSN_dawnbryant.