1. Understanding Seasonal
Differences in Markets for the
Myrtle Beach Boardwalk
Carson Paige Edmunds, Myrtle Beach Redevelopment Corporation and Wall College of Business
Admin.
L. Taylor Damonte, Brittain Center for Resort Tourism, Wall College of Business Admin.
Bomi Kang, Hospitality, Resort, and Tourism Management, Wall College of Business Admin.
David Sebok, Myrtle Beach Downtown Development Corporation, City of Myrtle Beach
A Presentation To The Graduate Education and Graduate Student
Research Conference in Hospitality and Tourism
January 10th, 2015

2.  The Myrtle Beach Boardwalk was created by the City of
Myrtle Beach and opened in May, 2010.
 The Boardwalk is one of the public infrastructure elements
proposed in the 1999 Pavilion Master Plan which the Myrtle
Beach Downtown Redevelopment Corporation [DRC] is
charged with implementing.
Damonte - Loftus
E. Craig Wall Sr. College of Business AdministrationEdmunds - Damonte – Kang – Sebok
Myrtle Beach Boardwalk Background Information

3.  The percentage of visitors in each of the three life stages.
 The specific places travel parties select to visit during
their stay.
 The distance they travel to Myrtle Beach from their origin
market.
 The average spending per travel party.
Research Focus:
Studying specific market changes to better understand the seasonal
fluctuation from Summer to Fall in the Myrtle Beach area.
Edmunds - Damonte – Kang – Sebok

4. Discussion:
We expect the K-12 school calendar would impact the seasonal choice
of family vacationers with children. Consequently, a higher
concentration of travel parties with school age children is expected
during the summer months and a higher concentration of travel parties
with no children or with children under 6 years old, not being impacted
by the K-12 school calendar, would be expected during the fall season.
Researchers would expect to find statistically different attraction choices,
spending, and distance traveled for fall season travelers versus summer
travelers.
“
“
Edmunds - Damonte – Kang – Sebok

5. 11.4%
19.6%
48.2% 51.8%
40.4%
28.6%
0.0%
20.0%
40.0%
60.0%
80.0%
100.0%
Summer Season Fall Season
Families with kids under 5 yrs old
Families with schoold age kids
Adults only (21 +)

6. Market Common Coastal Grand Mall Broadway at the Beach
Tanger Outlet Amusement/Water Park Barefoot Landing
Boardwalk
13%
10%
19%
13%
8%
12%
25%
12%
12%
14%
14%11%
12%
25%
Summer Season Fall Season

7. Stages of Life
1 - Families with
children under 5
years old
2 - Families with
school age
children
3 - Adults only

8. Summer Season Fall Season
$0-$20 24% 17%
$20-$40 15% 14%
$40-$60 22% 11%
$60-$80 16% 37%
$80-$100 12% 9%
$100-$120 4% 9%
$140-$160 7% 3%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%

9. Market Trend Findings:
The percentage of visitors in each of the three life stages
Percent of travel parties with children rises in the
fall while adult only travel parties decrease.
The specific places travel parties select to visit during their stay.
Broadway at the Beach showed a significant
decline in travel parties in the fall season.
Edmunds - Damonte – Kang – Sebok

10. Market Trend Findings:
The distance they travel to Myrtle Beach from their origin market.
Families with school age children, have a mean
travel distance that is the furthest away from Myrtle
Beach in both seasons.
The average spending per travel party.
In both seasons the majority of travel parties spent
a average total of $80 or less on the Boardwalk.
Edmunds - Damonte – Kang – Sebok

11. Conclusion
By comparing traveler life stages, places travel parties
visit, distance traveled and the average spending per
travel party in the summer and fall seasons insight has
been given to these seasonal fluctuations. The research
conducted on specific market changes during the
seasonal fluctuation from summer to fall in the Myrtle
Beach area disproved our hypothesis. Leading to the
conclusion that adult travel parties decrease in the fall
season as apposed to the increase in travel parties with
children.
Edmunds - Damonte – Kang – Sebok