Plus, a former Sulivan's Island WWII fort-turned-home is for sale.
 
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89º | 59% chance of precipitation
Sunrise 6:18 a.m. | Sunset 8:31 p.m.
High tides 11:19 a.m. + 11:29 p.m. | Low tide 5:09 p.m.
 

💵 Business is booming

2023: A record-setting year for Charleston tourism
Pink sunset over the Battery. There are Palmetto tree and the Charleston skyline
There’s nothing quite like golden hour in CHS. | Photo by @owen_granata
Charleston is renowned for its hospitality, rich history, great culinary scene, and beautiful beaches. We consider ourselves lucky to experience what the city has to offer daily and understand why so many are drawn to our city’s uniqueness.

A few weeks back, the CHStoday team had the chance to attend an event hosted by the folks at Explore Charleston, where we chatted about all things Holy City. There, we saw a presentation from the College of Charleston Office of Tourism Analysis detailing the impact and importance of tourism.

Keep reading for a peek at some of the data from the “Estimation of Tourism’s Economic Impacts in the Greater Charleston Area, 2023.”

New standards
Our region continues to outdo itself, setting new records in several areas, including the total number of visitors, airport travelers, sales attributable to tourism, number of people working in the tourism industry, hotel room nights sold, and economic impact, which is up 2.2% from 2022.

Quick facts from 2023
  • 7.79 million | Estimated number of people who visited the Charleston area
  • 70.7% | Average hotel occupancy
  • $185 | Average daily rate of a hotel
  • 6.15 million | People passed through the Charleston International Airport
Economic impact from 2023
  • $13.10 billion | Estimated total economic impact
  • 53,700 | Tourism industry workers
  • $1,048 | Average spending per adult
  • 4.9 million | Hotel room nights sold
  • 24.7% | Sales in the region attributed to tourism
For those looking to visit the 843, check out these must-see spots recommended by CHStoday readers.
Asked

On average adults spend ~$1,050 per person on a trip to the Charleston area.
A. True
B. False
Pop quiz
interveneMD
 
Events
Tuesday, July 9
  • Patio Party | Tuesday, July 9 | 5:30-8:30 p.m. | Park & Grove, 730 Rutledge Ave., Charleston | Price of purchase | Tonight is the final installment of this seasonal community event, so to plan catch some live music and dine outdoors.
  • Sushi Rolling Workshop | Tuesday, July 9 | 6:30-8:30 p.m. | Two Blokes Brewing, 547 Long Point Rd., Ste. 101, Mount Pleasant | $55 | Explore the traditions, techniques, and taste of sushi rolling.
  • Charleston RiverDogs vs. Columbia Fireflies | Tuesday, July 9 | 7:05 p.m. | The Joe, 360 Fishburne St., Charleston | $19-$44 | Root root root for the home team, as they take on the Fireflies.
Wednesday, July 10
  • West African Dance & Drumming | Wednesday, July 10 | 10-11 a.m. | James Island County Park, 871 Riverland Dr., Charleston | $5 | This lively interactive program brings together the stories of Ghana and West Africa, showcasing them through music and movement.
  • Seoulfully Speaking | Wednesday, July 10 | 6-7:30 p.m. | Mount Pleasant Library, 1133 Mathis Ferry Rd., Mount Pleasant | Free | This relaxed atmosphere is open to anyone interested in the Korean language + aims to encourage, assist, and inspire others while learning.
Thursday, July 11
  • Starlight Yoga | Thursday, July 11 | 7:30-8:30 p.m. | Folly Beach County Park, County Park 1100 W. Ashley Ave., Folly Beach | $10-$12 | This stargazing yoga class is open to all abilities and fitness levels.
Summer events
Click here to have your event featured.
 
Giveaway

Food

Enter to win a euphoric experience during every foodie’s favorite week of the year
Presented by a CHStoday partner
A group of people raise a glass at euphoria, Greenville's premier food + wine festival.
Raise your glass, because we’ve partnered with euphoria to give away one unforgettable experience in Greenville, SC. | Image by 6AM City
Calling all foodies — we’ve partnered with euphoria Food, Wine & Music Festival to dish out an unforgettable experience for one lucky winner + guest to indulge in a feast for the senses in Greenville, SC, on Sept. 19-22.

The euphoria prize package (valued at $1,680) includes:
Head over to our Instagram for details on how to enter.
Enter to win
News Notes
Opening
  • Get ready to dig in. A Midlands soul food spot has plans to open a Lowcountry location. Kiki’s Chicken and Waffles will call 5623 Rivers Ave., North Charleston home. An opening date hasn’t been announced yet, but the restaurant will be hiring today, July 9, from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m.
Real Estate
  • Home sweet bunker? A former WWII fort-turned-home on Sullivan’s Island is listed for $5.35 million. The 7,000-sqft home overlooks the Breach Inlet, has four bedrooms and three bathrooms, and is complete with 15-foot-thick reinforced concrete on the walls, floors, and ceilings. (The Post and Courier)
Travel
  • Charleston International Airport set a new record for passenger travel over the Fourth of July holiday weekend. Nearly 117,000 travelers passed through the TSA checkpoint during the holiday period. That’s a 12% increase from last year.
Environment
  • SeaRise signs are being placed around town to help document flooding. When there are high waters around a sign, community members are asked to snap a picture and upload it to the SC Aquarium Citizen Science app. Researchers will use the data to predict future flooding. (WCIV)
Development
  • Paslay Group, a full-service airport consultancy, will help with the Charleston International Airport’s Terminal Development Program. Airport leaders are in the design phase and discussing five gate additions in the east concourse, four in the west concourse, an expanded ticket hall and security checkpoint, and road improvements.
Watch
  • Lowcountry pitmaster Rodney Scott serves barbecue at his King Street restaurant, and now he’s serving up his expertise on TV. Scott is a judge on the Food Network’s “Howdy Again, Texas!” — a barbecue cookoff that features 12 contenders who are ready to show off their signature flavors.
Trending
  • Sea cow sighting. Check out this manatee, spotted relaxing in the water near the Isle of Palms by some folks celebrating the Fourth of July. (WCBD)
Edu
  • The City of Charleston will host virtual Financial Empowerment Workshops for those 14-25+. The first workshop is this Thursday, July 11, from 10 to 11 a.m., and will focus on creating a spending budget and a savings plan. Upcoming sessions will cover building credit, investing, and saving for retirement. Save your child a spot.
Pets
Sports
  • Michael Better, a Charleston native, will compete on the men’s national flag football team this summer. Flag football will become an Olympic sport in the 2028 Los Angeles Games. In the meantime, Better and the US national team will head to Finland on Friday, Aug. 23, for the Flag Football World Championship. (WCSC)
Ranked
Finance
  • Did you know some credit cards can actually help you get out of debt faster? Yes, it sounds crazy. But it’s true. The secret: Find a credit card with a “0% intro APR” period for balance transfers. Here are hands down some of the best.*
Wellness
  • Magnesium can help you fall asleep, manage stress, and wake up refreshed. Magnesium Breakthrough combines all seven essential forms of magnesium — get an extra 10% off now.*
 
Family

🪩 Get ready to boogie

Charleston County Parks’ inclusive prom returns on August 10
CHS_inclusive prom_Charleston County Park & Recreation Commission.png
Get ready to dance the night away at Charleston County Parks’ disco-themed inclusive prom. | Photo provided by Charleston County Park & Recreation Commission
Break out your bell bottoms, feather boa, and sequins + get ready to bust a move. Saturday, Aug. 10, The Charleston County Park and Recreation Commission is hosting its annual inclusive prom.

Community members of all abilities, along with their families and friends, are encouraged to dress in their finest ‘70s-inspired attire. The prom will go from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Mount Pleasant Town Hall Gym (100 Ann Edwards Ln.).

Early registration is $4 per person and $5 per person on the day of the dance. Chaperones are required but are free with participant registration.
The Buy
Hello, The Buy team here. If you like browsing our daily featured item, we’ve got a whole site of recommendations to choose from — allow us to direct you to a few.

🔪 This $260 knife set is on sale for $75 through Sunday, July 21.

🌺 These 15 tropical Amazon finds will spruce up your wardrobe, home, and vibe for summer.

🛍️ The Nordstrom Anniversary sale is coming — here are the best deals to bookmark.
More worth The Buy
 
The Wrap
 
CHS_CallieBrown

Today’s edition by:
Callie
From the editor
🎾 Wishing Emma Navarro, a Lowcountry native, the best of luck today. She will take on Jasmine Paolini in the Wimbledon quarterfinals.
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