"Yes, Canadians have been coming down”: Myrtle Beach looks ahead to a busy year of upgrades, travel deals

With family-friendly waterparks, shopping outlets, vibrant nightlife, local cuisine, Southern hospitality, oceanfront boardwalks, world-class golf courses and 100 kilometres of beaches, Myrtle Beach is open and ready to welcome back Canadian visitors.

The excitement in South Carolina began to heat up on Nov. 8, 2021, when the U.S.-Canada land border reopened after 19 months of travel restrictions.

The Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce held a lively ribbon cutting celebration that day to mark the reopening, at which they also announced the return of its Myrtle Beach Can-Am Days Festival, happening March 12- 20, 2022.

With the start of a new year, the team is eager to keep the momentum going. 

“We’re ready to safely welcome back Canadian visitors who are eager to resume international travel, create new memories or revisit familiar traditions along our 100 kilometres of gorgeous coastline,” said Julie Ellis, public relations manager at the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce, addressing travel journalists at a virtual event held Thursday (Feb. 3).

Keeping it fresh

Despite the pandemic, new attractions have been added to the Grand Strand, including:

• Funplex Myrtle Beach - Located steps from the beach on 14th Ave, the Funplex Myrtle Beach is designed for families and thrill seekers alike. There’s a restaurant and bar outside, so “you can just walk up off the street and get a cocktail,” Ellis said.
• Huntington Beach State Park Nature Center  - The new nature center is $1.2 million investment and features a birding area, a classroom and an exhibit area with live animals.
• New Craft Breweries  – Grand Strand Brewing Company in downtown Myrtle Beach produces a variety of handmade beers and Crooked Hammock Brewery in Barefoot Landing – an all-ages backyard with indoor/outdoor seating for more than 500 guests, firepits, hammocks, outdoor games, and a bar that is set over the lake.
• SkyWheel Myrtle Beach  – In celebration of the attraction’s 10th anniversary in 2021, SkyWheel underwent major renovations including a new wheel structure, refurbished interiors and exteriors of its 42 gondolas, and a new state-of-the-art lighting system allowing for more dynamic light shows. The attraction offers “an unbeatable view” of the Atlantic Ocean and Myrtle Beach shoreline, Ellis noted.

Last year also saw the opening of Homewood Suites by Hilton, which offers apartment-style living near the beaches in the Grand Strand.

Later this year, the Surfside Beach pier reconstruction will be completed. This pier was destroyed during Hurricane Matthew in 2016, but the town is rebuilding it to withstand hurricane forces. The restored version, set to be completed by fall, will feature a restaurant and vendor space.

The 26-storey Springhill Suites and Courtyard Marriott is also set to open this spring. It will replace the former Breakers Resort.

And Landmark Waterpark is going up too.

The 9,800-square-foot "H2OASIS" facility, exclusive to Landmark Resort guests, will feature three 40-foot tall slides, a fun kids’ slide, places for lounging and kids water play area. The three-million-dollar attraction is set to open this summer.

Then there’s “The Hangout,” opening late spring, at Broadway at the Beach. This will be a new restaurant, retail and entertainment venue that offers year-round live music.

Major events are also returning to Myrtle Beach in 2022, including the Carolina Country Music Festival from June 9-12, the World Championship Chili Cook-Off from Sept 23-25, and the Moo & Brew craft beer, burger and music festival (dates TBA).

Getting there

Starting March 9, 2022, Porter will resume two weekly nonstop flights between Myrtle Beach International Airport (MYR) and Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport (YTZ) with connecting service from various Porter locations.

Flights will operate on Wednesdays and Saturdays through May 28, 2022.

Non-stop air service is also available out of Detroit, Michigan on Spirit and out of Albany and Newburgh/Stewart, New York on Allegiant.  

Can-Am Days is back

The Can-Am Days Festival in March, now in its 61st year, is a great way to get more bang for your buck. The event is designed to help Canadians overcome exchange rate challenges. (Click here for more info). 

The promo unlocks great deals on accommodations and select attractions, with savings of up to 50 per cent off – “and some of those deals are already in place,” Ellis noted.

Canadians are trickling in

Ellis said it’s hard to tell just how many Canadians have made their way to Myrtle Beach since the border measures were eased.

But Kimberly Hartley, Canadian and International sales manager for Visit Myrtle Beach, said the demand to visit the premier outdoor destination is there.

“When the border officially reopened on Nov. 8, I had numerous calls from travel agents and consumers saying, ‘We want to go down, we need to get our PCR tests,” Hartley said yesterday. “We don’t have numbers, but I can confidently say that Canadians did start trickling in as of Nov. 8.”

The Government of Canada’s 72-hour pre-arrival PCR test requirement remains a costly barrier for many Canadians, especially families – a segment that Myrtle Beach heavily relies on.

The Canadian Travel and Tourism Roundtable, last November, urged Ottawa to remove unnecessary obstacles for vaccinated travellers, calling pre-arrival testing a “cost-prohibitive to many Canadian families."

PCR testing in Myrtle Beach can cost upwards of USD $140 and Hartley’s advice is to make sure that local labs are able to process results within 72 hours.   

On Canada’s return-home PCR test rule: “Let’s hope that does drop soon,” Hartley said.

See Visit Myrtle Beach’s webpage for Canadian visitors here. 

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