Few places in the world offer visitors as much as Charleston, South Carolina. Charleston’s blend of history, charm, dining, art galleries, marinas, museums, shopping, golf, tennis, and beaches creates an irresistible tourism magnet, and Charleston’s three-county region welcomes several million visitors every year.
Founded as Charles Towne in 1670, Charleston has long enjoyed a reputation as a world-class destination, and that reputation has expanded rapidly over the past decade. Ranked as one of the top destinations in the world by such magazines as Conde Nast Traveler and Southern Living, Charleston contributed more than $5.3 billion of South Carolina’s $16.7 billion tourism total in 2007.
“The world has discovered Charleston,” said Rich Harrill, director
of the International Tourism Research Institute in Carolina’s School of Hotel, Restaurant, and Tourism Management. “Visitors come not just for the ocean, the waves, and the beaches, but also for the food, the accents, and the stories. People are moving into Charleston, and they are investing in Charleston.”
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