SC

Project/Location
South Carolina can become one of
the USA's leading tourism States.
This is the view of the South
Carolina Competitiveness Initiative,
a joint public/private sector group
who contracted Tourism
Development International to
prepare a Tourism Action Plan. The
State is already growing faster
than any other; however, it is
underperforming its potential. Put
simply, the current organisation of
tourism, the lack of planning, asset
preservation and inadequate
investment - in particular in
marketing - pose the most
significant threats to the future of
tourism to and within the State.

John Robinson was commissioned
to prepare a product development
analysis and tourism structure plan
for the overall State identifying key
tourism areas and flagship
developments together with action
plans for the implementation of
priority projects and programmes.

Project Description
Eight separate Tourism Destination
Areas (TDAs) were identified, each
having a combination attractions
and themes.

50 pilot/demonstration projects
were identified within the TDAs that
included:

1. Natural resource development -
parks, lakes and beach
improvements.

2. Cultural heritage resource
development - historic sites and
interpretation.

3. Community development -
promotion of soft culture, arts and
crafts and small business
enterprises.

4. Product promotion - discovery
routes and heritage trails.

5. Integrated planning - long term
waterfront, resort and recreational
developments.

The overall concept was to
establish and promote a network of
tourism clusters, circuits and
linkages between tourism sites and
attractions within and between the
Tourism Destination Areas.

Associated Consultants
Tourism Development International

Client
South Carolina Tourism Cluster
Committee
South Carolina Competitiveness
Initiative
South Carolina State Government
Department of Parks, Recreation
and Tourism