Here’s where Hilton Head tourists come from and the answers might surprise you, survey shows
While it might be hard for some to believe, a recent survey says Hilton Head Island tourists aren’t just from Ohio.
The belief that they are all northern visitors isn’t entirely true either.
Approximately 2.5 million people visit Hilton Head Island every year, according to hiltonheadisland.org.
More respondents traveled from Ohio than from any other state making up 11.3% of tourists, as reported by the Hilton Head Island Visitor Profile of 2021.
In second place, Pennsylvania visitors came in at 7.1%; while New York landed in third at 6.2%.
While these three northern states made up the highest percentages of visitors per state, combined they only total less than a quarter of the visitors to the island.
So, what about the other approximately 75% of Hilton Head Island tourists?
The majority of remaining locations from which tourists came were actually from neighboring states.
Georgia followed in fourth place with 5.9% of visitors being from the Peach State right next door. The island’s neighboring state, North Carolina, and California tied for fifth place, comprising 4.7% of tourists each. The state of Florida followed with 4.0%, while Virginia made up 3.8% of tourists who visited the island in 2021.
According to the survey, the top three reasons visitors chose to visit Hilton Head Island were its 12 miles of white-sand beaches, relaxation the island offered and to spend time with family. Other reasons included biking, golfing and culinary experiences.
Tourists also enjoyed shopping in local areas, engaging in nature-based activities and water-centered excursions.
Hilton Head Island affords numerous activities for all ages and demographics. The island offers dolphin cruises, guided deep-sea fishing, paddle boarding, a wide variety of sporting activities, kayak excursions, parasailing, numerous biking trails and nature preserves. It boasts several shopping locations, many of which are unique to the Lowcountry, and activities for the whole family.
This story was originally published May 19, 2022 at 5:00 AM.
