Visit South Carolina and Find the Undiscovered | Live From IPW 2026

Welcome to a special IPW 2026 series of View From Afar. In this episode, recorded live from the conference floor, Discover South Carolina director Duane Parrish sits down with Afar deputy editor Michelle Baran for one of our most revealing travel industry interviews yet: a case for why you should visit South Carolina well beyond its famous beaches.

Duane has led Discover South Carolina for 15 years, and tourism is now one of the state's largest industries. In 2024 it contributed more than 30 billion dollars to the economy and generated 3.2 billion in state and local tax revenue, money that helps hold down residents' property and income taxes.

In this episode, Duane and Michelle discuss:

Why 2025 was a record year statewide even as the Grand Strand and Myrtle Beach felt a sharp drop in Canadian snowbird visits

How South Carolina leaned into the drive market, with 80 percent of visitors arriving by car, targeting cities like Atlanta and Charlotte to offset softer international numbers

Why post-pandemic outdoor recreation, from golf to hiking to camping, has become one of the state's strongest domestic draws

The Find the Undiscovered You campaign, and the pitch for off-the-grid escapes like the climb to the top of Table Rock Mountain

How Charleston, Hilton Head, Greenville, and the up-and-coming upstate each play a different role in the state's mix

The opening of the ⁠International African American Museum⁠ in Charleston, the ⁠Gullah Geechee Corridor,⁠ and the ⁠Civil Rights Trail⁠—and why international visitors are especially drawn to this kind of richer storytelling

How accommodations, sales, and gas taxes turn every visit into funding for local tourism initiatives and community projects

This is one in a series of travel industry interviews and tourism experts interviews recorded live at IPW 2026, part of View From Afar's ongoing look at travel trends 2026, destination management, and the travel industry insights that help a state grow tourism responsibly. For every reason to visit South Carolina beyond the coast, and a look at why so many already visit South Carolina each year, it is a front-row conversation with one of the hospitality industry leaders shaping the future of travel.

Plus: the four styles of South Carolina barbecue sauce (vinegar, mustard, light tomato, heavy tomato), the 225-restaurant barbecue trail that's color-coded by sauce, and Duane's own loyalty to heavy tomato.