Tourism: A Powerhouse Driving Spartanburg's Economy

While our coastline absorbs most of the benefits, our entire state sees the perks of leisure travel.

But leisure travel isn’t the end-all, be-all. In fact, in Spartanburg, it isn’t always in first place. Each community must focus its tourism efforts on its assets, and Spartanburg knows how to play up its strengths.

From a business view, tourism is all about bringing in money and fueling jobs. Statewide, tourism brings $21 billion in spending, generates $1.6 billion in tax revenue, and supports one in 10 jobs. According to an August 2017 study prepared for the South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism, domestic tourism to Spartanburg County resulted in $406 million in expenditures and $63.24 million in travel-supported payroll income. Spartanburg ranked seventh in the state out of 46 counties, falling behind Horry, Charleston, Beaufort, Greenville, Richland and Lexington. The economic impact of tourism in Spartanburg County increased at a rate above the state average and continues to trend upwards.

SPARTANBURG + SPORTS = A GREAT MATCH

NFL. NCAA. SoCon. No matter how the letters stack up, Spartanburg is scoring in the world of sports tourism.

Venues like Tyger River Park and the Upward Star Center allow us to attract youth sports tournaments that bring thousands of players and families to town.

“Spartanburg has built an exceptional facility that provides fans and teams with everything that they could dream of and more,” said Chris Sebren, director of national teams for USA Softball, speaking about Tyger River Park. “This is truly one of the premier complexes in the United States.”  

In Summer 2017, the Adidas Uprising Gauntlet, a premiere showcase for elite boys and girls basketball teams, from around the country, chose chose Spartanburg’s Upward Star Center as its home base, bringing 200 teams of 15 to 17-year-olds from across the nation to Spartanburg. 400 Division 1 college coaches followed suit.

In similar fashion, high school football players from across South Carolina travel to Spartanburg each December for the Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas, hosted at Wofford College. Those players are accompanied by more than 7,000 coaches, fans and family members. According to a study commissioned by Spartanburg County, the games hit an economic impact of $487,030.

Boasting state-of-the-art facilities and top-notch athletic programs, Spartanburg’s colleges are key to its burgeoning sports tourism scene. Converse College, Spartanburg Methodist College, USC Upstate and Wofford College all draw games and tournaments to the area.

In October 2017, Wofford College hosted twenty teams for the Southern Conference’s Cross-Country Championships, bringing several hundred racers and visitors to Milliken’s nationally recognized all-grass course. On the court, the Terriers faced the University of South Carolina Gamecocks, opening the Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium with a sold-out crowd of 3,400.

Also calling Wofford College home, the Carolina Panthers Training Camp is perhaps the most notable sports experience in Spartanburg. Attracting upwards of 100,800 spectators, more than half of Panthers Training Camp attendees travel more than fifty miles to get up close and personal with the players. The 2017 Training Camp had a $13.24 million impact on Spartanburg, with visitors accounting for 70 percent of that - a whopping $9.3 million. The camp is ranked as one of the top five training camps in the NFL for fan friendliness.

Spartanburg has a competitive edge in youth, college and professional sports. We’re no strangers to adrenaline, either.

Spartan brought its Beast and Sprint events to Spartanburg for the first time in 2017, drawing nearly 10,000 participants looking to test their endurance by tackling a grueling course featuring barbed wire and fire. The race weekend gave Spartanburg’s economy a $1.652 million boost, with most visitors staying in the Upstate for two and a half days. The event is set to return to Spartanburg in November 2018.

Sportanburg? It’s got a nice ring to it.

The Case for Business

Just as our sports facilities line us up as a sports tourism destination, Spartanburg’s business assets help us attract business travelers from across the globe. This comes in two forms: teams traveling to Spartanburg to meet with our portfolio of businesses, and groups convening in Spartanburg for conferences and events.

Being home to more than 100 international businesses certainly has its perks. The further people travel for a business opportunity, the longer they stay. International visitors account for close to 4 percent of tourism spending in South Carolina – that’s approximately $824 million.

At the Spartanburg Marriott, a Spanish consulting company is currently housing a team of long-term business travelers for three months at a time. Not only do those individuals contribute to our economy on a daily basis, but they bring their families along due to the length of the trip.

Hotels such as the Spartanburg Marriott and the newly erected AC Hotel Spartanburg are well versed in helping business travelers explore the local community, often making dining and leisure recommendations for downtime. As Spartanburg evolves as a tourism destination, the hope is that business professionals will stay longer and spend more.

“Business travel is a huge section of our tourism industry”, said Crystal Pace, director of sales at the Spartanburg Marriott. “Hundreds of people travel into Spartanburg every single Monday, and most stay until Thursday. Occasionally, they’ll stay through the weekend”

At the Marriott, corporate bookings make up 45 percent of room sales.

Spartanburg’s 3,000 hotel rooms make it an easy sell for small and mid-size conferences, with complexes like the freshly renovated Summit Pointe Conference and Events Center offering flexible meeting and event space. Statewide organizations that usually rotate conferences between Greenville, Columbia and Charleston are starting to take note. Spartanburg hosted the SC Governors Conference on Travel and Tourism in 2017 for the first time in a decade.
The horizon is bright, too. The Southern Independent Booksellers Association is making plans to host its 2019 conference in a growing city. Perhaps you’ve heard of it? Spartanburg.

Collecting Accolades

Ideally, those who come to play sports or do business will choose to return to Spartanburg for pleasure. At the end of the day, it all ties back to the authentic Spartanburg experience.

Spartanburg has been catching more attention as a leisure destination, with its biking trails and blueways, craft beer and cuisine, and cultural amenities drawing people in. Its relaxed, family-friendly demeanor is also a strong selling point.

Budget Travel labeled Spartanburg as a “standout family getaway,” naming it as one of the ‘Best Budget Destinations in America’ alongside destinations like Chattanooga, TN, and Waco, TX. Spartanburg was also stacked up against places like Memphis, Tenn., and Colorado Springs when it made Chicago Parent’s list of “18 family-friendly places to visit in 2018”.

People are certainly paying attention. VisitSpartanburg.com saw a 19 percent increase in website traffic during the 2016-2017 fiscal year, following an impressive 47 percent increase in 2015-2016. And it’s paying off.  The City of Spartanburg’s hospitality tax revenue jumped by more than 5 percent in 2017, and Spartanburg County’s revenue rose by two percent.

Visitors are leaving Spartanburg with positive impressions, and they’re helping to spread the word. A study commissioned by the Spartanburg Convention and Visitors Bureau showed that more people were more familiar with Spartanburg than in previous years, with familiarity up to 76 percent from a historical 67 percent average.

“Spartanburg is making a name for itself in the tourism industry,” said Chris Jennings, executive vice president of the Spartanburg Convention and Visitors Bureau. “We’ve rolled out the red carpet for meetings, conferences and sports events and tournaments, and we see those attendees wanting to return. Many visitors are pleasantly surprised when they discover what Spartanburg has to offer. We hear it over and over again. Spartanburg? I had no idea”.