There's more to Myrtle Beach than just hot weather. Most people do not think of going to the beach when they think of fall, but it is actually a beautiful season in Myrtle Beach. The Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce recently launched a new advertising campaign to promote visiting Myrtle Beach in the fall.



Travelers within 300 miles now know that Myrtle Beach is ready to greet fall travelers with golf courses, shopping, festivals as well as lower off-season rates. The Myrtle Beach advertising campaign's goal is to fill the numerous hotel rooms that have been added during the last few years during the fall. Myrtle Beach has added about 20,000 lodging units since 2002, but occupancy is only about 54 percent.

The North Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce has launched some fall promotion as well by creating the ?Endless Summer? festival to give people a reason to visit after the peak summer season. About 70 percent of people who surveyed who saw the Myrtle Beach ad say they are interested in a fall or holiday Myrtle Beach vacation with family or friends, while 17 percent are interested in a weekend getaway.

The Myrtle Beach ads are reaching people who are not likely visitors and hopefully persuading them to travel there. About 60 percent of people who called the chamber of commerce of Myrtle Beach in response to the TV ads have not vacationed there in the past two years. About 25 percent of those who responded online said they had never been to the Myrtle Beach area.

Attracting new visitors is a main factor of growing the number of tourists to Myrtle Beach to 20 million, which is what is needed to fill about 90,000 lodging units, Dean said.