TORONTO — Myrtle Beach is exactly how you remember it – and nothing at all like how you remember it.
It’s a fine balance of nostalgia and new offerings, and Myrtle Beach – known to locals and long-time fans as simply ‘The Beach’ – manages to pull it off, says the Visit Myrtle Beach team.
Diane Charno, VP, Brand and Communications for Visit Myrtle Beach, and PR Manager Denielle Van Dyke joined Pulse Communications’ Sana Keller, who serves as PR Director for Visit Myrtle Beach in the Canadian market, to share updates about new hotels, golf and more.
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
64TH ANNUAL CAN-AM DAYS IN 2025
The team’s interview yesterday with Travelweek came ahead of its ‘Shag’ party tonight in Toronto’s Distillery District. The industry gathering will feature dancing, destination updates, cocktails and hors d’oeuvres, prizes and more.
Keller said Visit Myrtle Beach is expecting close to 70 attendees for tonight’s event. In case you’re wondering, North Myrtle Beach is home to the shag, a dance style that got its start here 40 years ago.
Many Canadians have made Myrtle Beach their go-to getaway spot for all those 40 years, and then some. There’s always a strong turnout for the destination’s famous Can-Am Days, now heading into its 64th year in 2025 with no signs of slowing down.
This year’s Can-Am Days, held March 9 – 17, included the always-popular Welcome Reception at the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce Visitors Center, and the Ontario Junior Players Invitational Golf Tournament. Other notable events included the Surfside BBQ Festival, the Ripley’s Can-Am Plaza Party at Ripley’s Aquarium, the Run to the Sun Car Show featuring over 30,000 vehicles, and Nights at Nance Spring Concert Series on in downtown Myrtle Beach, where visitors enjoyed live country music, food trucks and a brewery.
All of these events and more will be back for the 2025 edition of Can-Am Days, scheduled for March 8 – 16, 2025. Of course, Can-Am Days is also all about the deals, on everything from accommodation to attractions. Watch this site for more details as next year’s Can-Am Days draws near.
“IT’S ALL ABOUT REVITALIZATION & REGENERATION”
Asked what’s new on the hotel scene, Charno notes that more than 80 Myrtle Beach hoteliers are upgrading or renovating their properties.
As for new hotels, Visit Myrtle Beach is eagerly awaiting a brand new Compass Hotel by Margaritaville, coming to North Myrtle Beach. With 150 rooms, the property will be one of the rapidly expanding Margaritaville Hotels & Resorts’ many new builds.
Meanwhile the DoubleTree Resort by Hilton Myrtle Beach Oceanfront’s multi-million dollar renovation has seen its north tower transformed into The Ellie Beach Resort Myrtle Beach, Tapestry by Hilton. The Ellie’s boutique vibe is just one of many examples of how Myrtle Beach is elevating its product, says Charno.
It’s all about the revitalization and regeneration of Myrtle Beach, adds Keller. The destination’s appeal may centre on the 60-plus miles of beaches here, and the famous Grand Strand. But Myrtle Beach’s charms extend far beyond these mainstays, with 14 local communities developing their tourism product, not to mention more than 90 golf courses. Canadian travellers are a big, big part of Myrtle Beach’s golf scene.
Charno notes that golf’s popularity has surged post-pandemic, as people reconnected with the game as a way to get outside and connect with friends. The very first Myrtle Beach Classic, part of the PGA Tour, took place in 2024. The destination even has top-rated mini-golf, great for families, including the Tiger Woods-designed PopStroke at Broadway at the Beach.
LOOKING FOR RETURN OF NONSTOP FLIGHTS
Charno and her team are in town all this week for the Visit Myrtle Beach 2024 Canada sales and media mission.
Meetings with various airlines are on the schedule. “It’s really a focus for us to get that nonstop service back,” says Charno.
Pre-pandemic airlines including Porter and WestJet offered Myrtle Beach nonstops. “We’re always talking with them and hoping to get it back,” she adds.
Coming out of the pandemic, Charno notes that many airlines ramped back up with a focus on urban centres. There are no nonstop flights to Myrtle Beach currently, but if Charno and her team are successful, that could change. For now air travellers from Canada to Myrtle Beach need just one quick connection through cities like Charleston with Air Canada. And the drive market is a big one. “We know the demand is there” for nonstop flights, says Charno.
More information about Myrtle Beach and its resources for the travel trade can be found at VisitMyrtleBeach.com.
