Optimism for Upstate economy, tourism after one year in pandemic
World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic one year ago Thursday
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Updated: 6:45 PM EST Mar 11, 2021
World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic one year ago Thursday
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Updated: 6:45 PM EST Mar 11, 2021
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ARE FULLY VACCINATED TONIGHT. AS WE CONTINUE TO MOVE THROUGH THE PANDEMIC ECONOMIC LEADERS IN THE UPSTATE. HOPE FOR OUR RETURN TO STRONG PRE-PANDEMIC NUMBERS OUR TARGET HOW JOINS US LIVE HE IS IN GREENVILLE TONIGHT WITH A LOOK BACK TAG. GOOD EVENING. MICHAEL GOOD EVENING TO YOU. ONE TOURISM OFFICIAL TELLS ME THAT NATIONWIDE TOURISM ISN’T EXPECTED TO REALLY REBOUND UNTIL ABOUT 2024. HE SAYS HE’S HOPING FOR THE UPSTATE THERE COULD BE CLOSE TO A FULL REBOUND BY THE END OF 2022 BUT MANY ADJUSTMENTS HERE MADE ALONG THE WAY. FROM WALL STREET IN NEW YORK TO WALL STREET IN SPARTANBURG. IT’S BEEN A LONG 365 DAYS WE KNEW. BLOWS TO OUR ECONOMY WE’RE GOING SEVERE WE DID NOT KNOW HOW SEVERE SO AT THE ONSET OF THE PANDEMIC ONCE SPARTANBURG PRESIDENT AND LEO ALLEN SMITH FORMED THE BRINGING BACK THE BURG BUSINESS RECOVERY TASK FORCE FINDING A DECREASE IN 2020 DOWNTOWN FOOT TRAFFIC COMPARED WITH 2019 BUT A BOOST TO COUNTY RETAIL AND NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON HOSPITALITY. WE WERE 96% OF WHAT WE WERE IN TO ALMOST FLAT AND THINK ABOUT HOW RESTAURANTS WERE HANDICAPPED THROUGHOUT THIS ENTIRE SITUATION. SO WE REALLY HELD OUR OWN. SIGNALING UP BRIGHTER SPRING MORE THAN 2000 MULTI-FAMILY UNITS UNDER CONSTRUCTION NOW IN SPARTANBURG PUT THAT PERSPECTIVE REALLY IN THE NEXT 24 TO 36 MONTHS. WE’RE LOOKING AT QUADRUPLING THE NUMBER OF MULTIFAMILY UNIT. CITY OF SPARTANBURG SANDWICH SHOP OPEN IN DOWNTOWN SPARTANBURG THREE MONTHS AGO WHERE ANOTHER SANDWICH SHOP USED TO BE BUSINESS IS IMPROVING EVERY WEEK AND YOU KNOW NOW THAT SPRING IS KIND OF SEEING MORE FOOT TRAFFIC AND DOWNTOWN SPARTANBURG IN GREENVILLE. VISIT GREENVILLE SAYS AREA HOTEL OCCUPANCIES HAVE DROPPED ALMOST 40% REVENUES HAVE DROPPED ALMOST 60% WITHIN THE LAST YEAR. THE AGENCY SAYS CARES ACT FUNDING HAS HELPED AND FOR NOW OVERALL MARKETING STRATEGY HAS CHANGED AT THIS POINT THE AGENCY WORKING TO PEOPLE TO TOWN WITHIN A TANK OF GAS. WERE A HEAVY EAST COAST MARKETING DESTINATION? WE ARE MARKETING MEETINGS AND EVENTS IT ALL CHANGED AND NOW IT’S REALLY A LEISURE FOCUS AND REALLY TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE GREAT ASSETS WE HAVE IN GREENVILLE. AND WE’RE TALKING ABOUT THE BUSINESSES IN THE CITY OF GREENVILLE 13 OF THEM HAVE CLOSED SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE PANDEMIC BUT NINE NEW BUSINESSES HAVE OPENED DURING THAT TIME SPARKING, OF COURSE SOME OPTIMISM WITH THAT FOR NOW TAGGARD.