MYRTLE BEACH -- So was all the planning and last-minute craziness worth it? The Democratic debate broadcast from Myrtle Beach Monday night was the highest-rated debate ever on cable television, watched by 4.9 million viewers, according to CNN's numbers from Nielsen. "It's great news," said Dean, the CEO and president of the chamber, which promotes area tourism.

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MYRTLE BEACH -- Lack of familiarity and lack of air service remain two of the biggest hurdles the local convention and meeting industry need to tackle, according to research released Tuesday of the Myrtle Beach market. With budgets for meetings and conventions largely staying the same or increasing, there's plenty of room to grow, said John Pelletier, chairman of Equation Research, the Mount Pleasant-based firm that did the study.

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Compared to the rest of the country, South Carolina is normally a small fish in a big pond. But when it comes to the business of sport fishing, South Carolina is a big fish in a big pond. The Palmetto State ranks No. 7 in the country in the number of sport fishing jobs and No. 8 in the country in the amount of money spent each year on sport fishing.

Read more at The Greenville News...

MYRTLE BEACH -- Local tourism officials anticipate more winter visitors, or snowbirds flocking to the Grand Strand this year because of the strong value of the Canadian dollar vs. the U.S. dollar. At least one tourism official wonders whether some snowbirds might buy property in the area instead of renting a house or hotel room.

Read more at The (Myrtle Beach) Sun News...