Article - HVS Market Report - Charleston, SC: Making & Preserving History - By Courtney Vris - Europeans first settled in the city that would become Charleston over 350 years ago. Charleston s rich history is one of the drivers of its thriving tourism sector, which tallied 7.68 million visitors in 2022. In the hospitality industry, Charleston continues to make history, while local initiatives are also making strides to preserve it.