Celebrating 40 Years of “the shag” (and the latest from Myrtle Beach)

STORY BY JESSE SHIP 

If you’ve ever been to Myrtle Beach, then you may know a thing or two about how to shag.

But if that last sentence leaves you mystified, then absolutely read on to learn a bit about how the Myrtle Beach team hosted Toronto’s travel trade at an event at Archeo in Toronto’s Distillery District Wednesday night (Oct. 9).

The shag is the official dance of South Carolina, inspired by swing, charleston and jitterbug styles of the 1950s, but accommodated for the slow-pace beachy weather vibes of Myrtle Beach.

“It’s almost like a slowed down version, with a little less movement on the top of your body but with a lot of fancy footwork,” said Diane Charno, VP of brand and communications at Visit Myrtle Beach.

The name of the dance style comes from a lady nicknamed Shag, who worked at a bar called Charlie’s Place, who helped popularize the style with touring jazz artists that would frequent the establishment. And she left a lasting impression.

The funky dance style, still embraced by young and old, is celebrating 40 years as the state dance, which, along with the almost 100 kilometres of sandy stretches and 90 separate golf courses, is just another compelling reason for Canadian families to visit Myrtle Beach (and for snowbirds to settle down for a few months).

A fast-growing city

There’s real proof to the town’s popularity. “Myrtle Beach was the number one destination for the fastest hotel revenue recovery following the pandemic in the United States,” says Charno, crediting the wide-open beach spaces that enticed families to vacation safely.  

“This helped us earn the fastest-growing city and county in the United States for the last three years.”  

Snowbirds and remote workers have been flocking to Myrtle Beach from the big city for the beach easy lifestyle, mouthwatering barbecue, fresh seafood, and local peaches. Archeo did their best last night to offer a taste of Myrtle Beach with a raw bar, crab cakes and peach cobblers.

The positive revenue has helped attract more investment with roughly 80 hotel properties being upgraded. “We have a lot of conversions going,” said Bob Harris, EVP of sales at Visit Myrtle Beach.

“The DoubleTree which has been there for a number of years now has two towers, they did over $30 million in renovations. One remained a DoubleTree, the other is now a Tapestry by Hilton called The Ellie Beach Resort. That was completely gutted down to the concrete walls and rebuilt.” 

Adding to the city’s ever-growing landscape is a Compass by Margaritaville in North Myrtle Beach, expected for 2026, and a massive Margaritaville complex in downtown Myrtle Beach in the Ocean Boulevard area complete with massive water entertainment experience. 

On the luxe side of things, IHG has a voco slated for spring 2025.

A golfer’s paradise

It’s impossible to talk about Myrtle Beach without mentioning golf…and mini golf!

Along with the more than 90 championship golf courses, Myrtle Beach is home to over 30 extravagant miniature golf courses and even hosts a three-day pro mini golf championship every fall. 

One of the most recent courses includes the elevated Pop Stroke experience by Tiger Woods, inspired by professionally designed golf courses.

Another easy draw for golfers is the $52 USD Snowbird Golf Pass that gives wood and iron fanatics special discount rates from December to March.  

60 years of CAN-AM Days

The Canadian growth in Myrtle Beach is real.

According to Charno, “Canadian visitor growth is up five to six per cent in one of our spots when looking at short-term bookings, and it’s been significantly growing ever since the pandemic. When looking at Canadian Visa card spending, we’re seeing the same numbers.”

But March Break is the peak time for Canadians. Myrtle Beach has been attracting Canadians with exclusive Canadian rates during its CAN-AM Days promo for over 60 years. The days offer favourable exchange rates, savings and special events.

Worth the trip

There are currently no direct flights from Canada to Myrtle Beach, but many connecting flights are available, including an offer from Southwest that allows for passengers to check a golf bag for free. 

Another reason South Carolina is attractive to Canadians on the East Coast is that the drive is easier on the gas, and hours, than Florida.

“You Canadians are amazing because you guys drive down,” says Harris. “Myrtle Beach isn’t as far as trying to get to Florida. We see them and I’m like ‘When are you going back?’ They tell me Saturday. Saturday? ‘When do the kids go back to school?’ ‘Well, on Monday,’ they tell me.  ‘We’ll do laundry on Sunday and be good on Monday.’ 

“‘Wow, you guys are professional visitors, that’s for sure!’”

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