As tourism dwindles, how Hilton Head rentals stop visitors from coronavirus hotspots
Editor’s Note: Hilton Head Town Council meeting has passed a more restrictive short-term rental ordinance. You can find the most up-to-date information here.
When S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster suspended short-term rentals on April 3 to people coming from areas hard hit by the coronavirus, rental companies on Hilton Head Island began screening their lists of expected guests.
Terry Notartomaso, the broker in charge of Vacation Time of Hilton Head, said her company printed a list of people set to arrive to the island and went through to see who was planning to come from New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, where the CDC has issued a domestic travel advisory discouraging non-essential travel.
Using the address provided when they booked and their contact information, the company notified each person from the New York tri-state area that travel to South Carolina was prohibited under the governor’s new order.
Notartomaso said the list was pretty short. Vacation Time, along with a dozen other rental companies, has halted new reservations through April 9. Last week, town officials encouraged those companies to close through the end of April.
The few people contacted by Vacation Time were “completely understanding,” she said.
Stacy Charlton, general manager of Sunset Rentals on Hilton Head, said his company didn’t have to contact anyone to comply with the governor’s order. Business has been down 80% recently.
“For April we’re not allowing any new arrivals period,” he said. “We’re not allowing anybody from anywhere.”
Charlton said his company is looking for clarification from the governor on how long the order will last.
“Does that mean July 4th?” he asked. “ Does that mean December?”
The governor’s order says the prohibition of rentals for people coming from hotspots will last throughout the state of emergency McMaster declared March 13.
Asked how he will comply with the governor’s order when his business starts taking rentals again, Charlton said he’ll have to consult legal counsel on what he can do without getting accused of discrimination.
Tourism and Hilton Head marketing during coronavirus
The order comes as tourism on Hilton Head Island has slowed to a trickle.
Occupancy rates — the percentage of hotel rooms with guests — was hovering around 9.4% last week, according to chamber of commerce officials in a weekly teleconference.
Last week, only 219 guests stayed in hotels on the island. Several large resorts have closed as a result of coronavirus, including Disney’s Hilton Head Island Resort, Spinnaker Timeshares, Omni Hilton Head Oceanfront Resort, Montage Palmetto Bluff and Sonesta Resort Hilton Head Island.
Some won’t reopen until the end of May.
The slow down is also evident in the amount of traffic (or lack thereof) on Hilton Head.
On April 6, 2019, the first Saturday of April last year, S.C. Department of Transportation traffic counters showed 56,898 vehicles passed over the Hilton Head bridges traveling both east and west.
On the first Saturday of April this year, 30,000 fewer vehicles made that journey.
Just 25,193 vehicles passed over the bridges on April 4, 2020.
Organizations responsible for marketing the island have also entirely changed their tune.
The Hilton Head Island-Bluffton Chamber of Commerce, which receives over $2 million each year in town taxes to advertise the island, has stopped marketing with all “legacy media partners,” such as Conde Nast Traveler and Travel + Leisure, chamber spokesperson Charlie Clark said.
“We’re not encouraging travel right now.” she said. “There is no marketing push by the destination to encourage people to come to the island either digitally or socially.”
As of Tuesday morning, the chamber has not requested emergency marketing funds from the Town of Hilton Head Island, as it has done for hurricane recovery marketing the past several years.
Clark said the chamber has pulled all advertising “out of the northeast markets,” including New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, to comply with official directives.
“As most destinations are doing, we’re simply maintaining awareness with beautiful scenic shots with uplifting messaging such as ... ‘Fortunately nature remains as beautiful as ever. What are you grateful for today? #virtualvacation,’” she said. “There’s no call to action to travel to Hilton Head Island.”
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This story was originally published April 7, 2020 at 11:15 AM.
