North Myrtle Beach Chamber, CVB takes a stand to keep its coast clear
February 14, 2018
South Carolina is amongst 12 states seeking exclusion from the Trump Administration’s ruling to open oil and gas drilling on essentially all U.S. coastal waters. Governor Henry McMaster met with Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke on Friday, February 2 to address this matter; Cities and Chamber of Commerce’s across the state are speaking out in support of the Governor, including the North Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce, CVB.
“The beaches up and down the South Carolina coast are a driving factor to a thriving travel and tourism industry in this state,” Scott Ellis, board chair of the North Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce. “Annually, travel and tourism has an economic impact of $1.5 billion on our city alone. This exploratory drilling could directly cause a decline in revenue for North Myrtle Beach and throughout the state, and that is simply something we cannot afford.”
According to Chamber CEO & President Marc Jordan, “Our Board of Directors feel so strongly about this issue and its effect on tourism, I fully expect them to recommend formal opposition to drilling, as approved by our Chamber’s Executive Committee”.
After several coastal communities initially took a “wait and see” approach, some even supporting “exploratory drilling,” new sentiment up and down the South Carolina coast now reflects solid opposition to drilling, following President Trump’s January 4 proposal to expand offshore drilling to practically all waters from the Atlantic to the Arctic Oceans.
During the February 5 North Myrtle Beach City Council Meeting, Council approved a resolution allowing the city to join a proposed lawsuit with other South Carolina coastal communities initiated by the South Carolina Environmental Law Project (SCELP) opposing offshore seismic testing and oil and gas exploration. SCELP will file the lawsuit and will represent the city regarding the lawsuit at no charge.
“Governor McMaster has publically asked the Trump Administration to exempt South Carolina from offshore drilling,” said Ellis. “There is a statewide movement against anything that would disrupt the $20 billion tourism economy along 190 miles of beach and marsh coast, being led by the Governor’s office. The North Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce, CVB is dedicated to supporting the Governor’s office in its stance.”
For more information on the Chamber’s involvement and support of the Governor’s office, please contact Marc Jordan at (843) 361-3039.
About the North Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce, Convention and Visitors Bureau
The North Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce, Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB), an accredited five-star Chamber/CVB founded in 1999, continues to lead by example as an exemplary local business advocate and supporter, as well as a champion of North Myrtle Beach as a top travel destination within the Southeast. Since its founding, the Chamber/CVB has been wholeheartedly committed to advancing the welfare and prosperity of North Myrtle Beach while achieving a thriving, diverse and sustainable economy. The Convention & Visitors Bureau, North Myrtle Beach’s official Destination Marketing Organization (DMO), is committed to growing the North Myrtle Beach visitor and destination market by distinguishing the coastal beach town as a first-choice travel destination and brand. North Myrtle Beach welcomes millions of visitors each year to “Just Coast” on pristine beaches and through unexpected adventures, representing an economic impact of $1,124,549,932 in North Myrtle Beach, and an additional $219,234,620 in the surrounding area in March – August of 2016 alone. The North Myrtle Beach travel industry accounted for nearly 14,000 jobs and generated more than $117,000,000 in State and Local Taxes in 2016.
