'The Bachelorette' filmed a year ago. Did it benefit Hilton Head and Bluffton?

If you noticed an increase in visitors to the island late last summer, you may have ABC's "The Bachelorette" to thank.

The show, which filmed portions of Season 13 on Hilton Head Island and in Bluffton in March 2017, aired in June. After the show featured the island, anecdotal evidence suggests more visitors flocked to certain locations, although it is difficult to quantify if tourism was increased as a direct result of the show.

"There was an uptick immediately following the show," said Chris Bracken, director of sales and marketing for the Sonesta Resort, which was featured prominently on "The Bachelorette."

"People mentioned the show at check-in," he said. "Others already had reservations but saw the show and were excited. There was a lot of excitement over it."

That kind of excitement over a location featured on the "The Bachelor" or "The Bachelorette" is common.

"It's the kind of marketing opportunity an international city or hotel could only dream of," Town & Country magazine reported in March 2018. "... Reaching several million Americans for what is essentially an hour-long commercial is enough to change a destination forever, as evidenced by some of the locations lucky enough to be featured."

Nicole Woods, an executive producer for the show, told the magazine that producers hope the destinations shown in the series will prompt viewers to visit. She noted Hilton Head in a list of places people may not have known of before the show featured them.

Some Bluffton and Hilton Head business owners said previously the show's filming increased their business.

Bluffton Mayor Lisa Sulka, who appeared in the show, said she's confident Bluffton realized some benefit from being a filming location, especially if Hilton Head locations have noted an increase in visitors.

"I think there's a good chance that if someone was over there (Hilton Head), they came over here," Sulka said.

The Sonesta offered a Bachelorette-themed vacation package after the show aired. It allowed visitors to retrace the steps of the show, dining at the same locations and visiting the same spa. Only a handful of people booked that package, Bracken said, noting that most chose the hotel's normal rates.

Colleton River Club, a private community and popular wedding destination in Bluffton, said although there is not a "trackable increase" in bookings, couples who tour the location as a prospective marriage destination are "interested" in the fact that the community's Dye Clubhouse was featured on the show, according to Kristen Lee, who handles marketing for the community.

The Sea Pines Resort — which was only shown in "The Bachelorette" as B-roll footage — had dozens of guests comment that they had seen the resort on the show, according to John Munro, vice president of sales and marketing.

"I can't say for sure any reservations occurred because of the show," he said. "Regardless, it was great publicity."

Representatives of other filming locations did not immediately respond to requests for comment Wednesday.

The Hilton Head Island-Bluffton Chamber of Commerce was primarily responsible for bringing "The Bachelorette" to the island. Charlie Clark, the vice president of communications for the chamber, said months of "behind-the-scenes" planning happened among the chamber, production company and hotel.

Clark said "the Bachelorette effect," can be seen in increased website visitation and social media numbers.

"The day the show aired, we saw a 126 percent increase in traffic to our website; a 47 percent increase in Instagram engagement; and a 42 percent increase in Facebook engagement," Clark said in an email statement. "Post show, Snapchat filters promoting various locations visited during the show produced Snaps viewed by 2.7 thousand people."

It's possible the island will continue to experience "the Bachelorette effect," considering the show's Season 13 finale had 7.5 million viewers.

Hilton Head and Bluffton locations have been featured in People, Entertainment Tonight and other media outlets because of the reality TV show, Clark said.

"It’s not just about the airing of the show, it’s also about the subsequent coverage received and social media exposure," Clark wrote. "The opportunity to be featured as a Bachelorette destination is a win for the Lowcountry."

This story was originally published March 14, 2018 at 3:50 PM with the headline "'The Bachelorette' filmed a year ago. Did it benefit Hilton Head and Bluffton?."