Ads say Hilton Head ‘stands ready’ for tourists, others say ‘stay away.’ Which is true?
Hilton Head Island is “the ultimate domestic getaway.”
It “stands ready to safely welcome visitors” because it “has gone to great lengths to protect the community by putting forth the Path Forward Readiness Plan.”
That’s the message being sent to potential visitors across the country as marketing for Hilton Head ramps up during the coronavirus pandemic. A slew of Hilton Head marketing materials hit digital newsstands last week via public relations websites and publications like Southern Living and Travel + Leisure.
The marketing push comes as businesses that serve tourists try to salvage a summer season massively damaged by pandemic travel restrictions and a general hesitancy to travel. It also comes as Washington Post columnist Kathleen Parker warned readers to “Stay away from South Carolina,” last week.
“How did we get so sick so fast?” Parker asked in her column, which published July 10. “In a word, tourism, especially in Charleston, erstwhile ‘Best City’ in America, and north along the coast to Myrtle Beach — now among the unsafest places in the United States and, therefore, the world. There, you’ll see very few people wearing masks, and social distancing is a joke.”
As big-name magazines and marketing content attempt to put Hilton Head back on the minds of travelers nationwide, residents and local leaders are still grappling with rising coronavirus cases, public safety restrictions and the possibility that more visitors may make the pandemic worse.
What do the ads say?
In a marketing release last week, the Hilton Head Island-Bluffton Chamber of Commerce distributed news releases that mentioned the organization’s Path Forward Readiness Plan.
The releases were picked up by websites like Travel Pulse and MENAFN, a business and finance news resource. They list general guidelines for restaurants, hotels, rentals and retail, such as mentioning that hand sanitizer is available at all stores, and restaurant employees are required to wear masks.
“America’s #1 Island is safely welcoming back visitors when they are ready to do so. Discover the irresistible Southern charm of this resort town, with island activities that cater to both the young and young-at-heart, including opportunities for recreation and relaxation,” the releases say.
The chamber requested $470,000 for marketing during the coronavirus pandemic, but put its marketing plans on hold in May. It has not received the money, which must be approved by the Town Council, town finance director John Troyer confirmed Tuesday.
Hilton Head was featured in several national media outlets last week, too.
Hilton Head’s environmental riches were touted in a July 8 list of the “Best islands in the continental U.S.” Although it toppled from its No. 1 spot (contrary to chamber marketing materials distributed last week), the publication of winners acknowledged the island’s beauty and range of activities on a national stage.
One day later, Hilton Head was the subject of a Business Insider article that rounded up the best Airbnb deals on the island. Although the article contained a disclaimer about the coronavirus, it featured nine rentals that it touted as safer than staying in hotels.
“South Carolina is currently experiencing a spike in COVID-19 cases, so you may want to pause that trip for next weekend and instead plan ahead for the future when it becomes safer,” reporter Paul Oswell wrote.
On July 10, Southern Living gave Hilton Head a nod in an article that detailed a day of boating around the sea islands, including Daufuskie Island and Hilton Head.
“We pass the striped lighthouse of Harbour Town, resisting the final siren calls of Hilton Head, and continue down the Intracoastal, across Calibogue Sound and into the May River, bound for a place reachable only by water that calls itself an island ‘like no other,’” journalist and Wadmalaw Island resident John Huey wrote.
The magazine again sang the praises of Hilton Head in its July 12 article “The Ultimate South Carolina Shrimp Road Trip,” where contributor Stephanie Hunt featured Hudson’s Seafood on the Docks and the Sonesta Resort on Hilton Head.
“By the end of summer, spring’s juvenile shrimp have matured to plump delights, and the tourists have thinned out. Bonus: Lowcountry sunsets are glorious in the fall,” Hunt wrote about the best time to visit South Carolina.
There was no mention of coronavirus in either article.
Although the articles are not paid marketing, Hilton Head’s presence in the travel journalism industry is a stark departure from the months of radio silence during the early months of the pandemic.
Should I vacation on Hilton Head right now?
While travel sites and marketing paint a picture of Hilton Head that sometimes leaves out the realities of the pandemic, travelers and residents should stay up to date on local statistics and restrictions.
Whether to travel is a deeply personal decision that requires you to decide what you need for your family to feel safe.
Here’s what to know:
- Both employees and consumers in commercial spaces are required to wear a mask on Hilton Head. That includes restaurants, bars, gyms, stores and hotel lobbies. Failing to do so could land you with a misdemeanor (punishable by up to a $500 fine or up to 30 days in jail).
- Face masks are not required in public parks or on beaches. There is no indication from local leaders that that will change.
- Restaurants are open for indoor and outdoor seating, although a handful of local establishments have closed on their own.
- There are no requirements for visitors from any states to quarantine when arriving in South Carolina.
- Most island events for the summer have been canceled, although live music is starting to return to local restaurants and bars.
- The beaches have been crowded on weekends, although groups are encouraged to social distance and generally do.
