It’s hard to believe that the end of summer is fast approaching. Our chamber headquarters looks out onto a bike bath, and it’s great to watch families enjoying their vacation and biking along our leisure trails. On Hilton Head Island, we’re in the business of making memories. Tourism is the lifeblood of our economy and we’ve co-existed with visitors since Charles Fraser envisioned the first eco-planned destination in the country back in the 1950s.
Last year we launched our first resident sentiment survey on tourism. It’s done in partnership with MMGY, one of the country’s foremost travel research companies. Why do we do it? Because we’re mindful of how residents feel about tourism. Balancing the needs of residents and visitors matters to us and it matters to you.
Not surprisingly, MMGY noted last year that Hilton Head Island residents were extremely proud to call this place their home. It was the highest community pride level they’d ever seen in their surveys done with destinations across the country. We were also surprised that many of our residents think tourism is funded by their property taxes or by the Town, which isn’t the case. Accommodation taxes, paid by visitors, along with private funding, is the local source for tourism marketing. We also heard your concerns about educating our visitors on protecting and preserving our environment, and we’ve increased our efforts in this area.
Last year’s response rate was incredibly strong, and we want your opinion. Please take a moment to take the survey by clicking here. Your time is valuable—there’s also a chance to win a gift certificate to the local restaurant of your choice just by filling it out.
Special thanks to so many of our island’s gated communities and the Town of Hilton Head Island for partnering with us to get the survey out to as many residents as possible.
Your input matters. Let us know what you think.
Bill Miles,
President & CEO | Hilton Head Island-Bluffton Chamber of Commerce
