Myrtle Beach Offers Travel Deals To Counter Rising Gas Prices

Myrtle Beach in South Carolina has felt the effects of economic doldrums and rising gas prices. Many travelers wouldn’t spend their summer vacation anymore because of the high cost of travel.

A Roanoke County resident said that taking one trip to Nags Head costs a couple of hundred dollars round trip, just on gas, so they’d just spend more time in local pools than hitting the road this summer. The high gas prices are a big reason why Myrtle Beach’s hotel occupancy rate was down more than 14% in June. A survey from the region’s chamber of commerce showed that 54% are less likely to visit Myrtle Beach this summer because of gas.

But Myrtle Beach is going to just sit and do nothing about this, so hotels and resorts are offering gas-related packages. You can find all kinds of deals, like $.10 for every mile traveled, $50 gas cards, as well as discounts of 15% to 20% off the bill. At one place, you’ll get $100 in free gas if you stay three nights or longer.

But vacationers still said these deals are not enough. They would prefer to wait and see when the price of gas come down.

“A $50 gas gift card to Myrtle Beach would not even get us halfway there,” says Woodson, a resident of Roanoke County. “Every bit helps, but it’s not enough to make me want to go there right now.”