Myrtle Beach makes list of top seaside destinations as pandemic tourists avoid cities
Myrtle Beach came in as the second-most popular tourist destination for U.S. travelers last month as Americans flocked to beaches where they could vacation while still avoiding large crowds or big cities that have been hubs of the COVID-19 outbreak, according to data from Trivago.
Las Vegas remained the top September tourist destination for the second year. But Myrtle Beach pushed New York City out of the runner-up slot, followed by Cancun, Mexico, and Panama City Beach, Florida, Trivago said. Other seaside towns including Ocean City, Maryland; Atlantic City, New Jersey; and Playa Bavaro, Dominican Republic, were also top destinations for Americans.
The news continues to show that fears held by some business owners that desperately needed tourist traffic would drop after Labor Day seem to have been overblown. Last month, The Sun News reported that the “official end” to the summer tourist season might be little more than symbolic this year, with people spending unused vacation days or taking “work-cations” as America continues to be a society of remote workers.
The Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce has taken to advertising the Grand Strand as great for working or school vacations as part of its fall tourism promotions. Their fall getaway guide includes remote work suggestions, and the Chamber has also been working on details for how best to do school from the beach for families with children who have yet to return to in-person classes.
Trivago’s data shows an improvement for Myrtle Beach since 2019: It moved up from the fourth-most popular destination.
The travel company also said that local or shorter0distance vacations — between 61 and 300 miles — now represent a larger share of bookings, while trips of 3,100 miles or longer decreased. The number of last-minute trips also increased, with more people scheduling vacations less than one day before leaving.
This story was originally published October 21, 2020 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Myrtle Beach makes list of top seaside destinations as pandemic tourists avoid cities."
