People living in and visiting Horry County have mixed thoughts on what the holiday season means in terms of spending and traveling.
People like Pam Looney from Georgia will spend Thanksgiving in Myrtle Beach, but she said the economy isn't getting better.
"I think it's worse this year."
But John Kida from upstate New York said while he and his wife are still watching spending, their confidence in the economy is up from this time last year.
"I'd say I feel a little bit better, not a whole lot, but a little better than last year," Kida said Sunday.
Many of the people shopping on Sunday were from out of town and said Myrtle Beach lured them because of the cheaper cost of living.
"We find really good deals in your restaurants, your shopping. That makes it worthwhile for us to come Christmas shopping here," said JoAnne Thompson from Ontario, Canada.
However, Thompson and her friend Ginny Leuning said they can tell things aren't as good as they once were along the Grand Strand.
"In going into the restaurants, I've noticed they're not as many people and even through the week shopping, there doesn't seem to be as many people at the malls," Leuning said.
As far as holiday travel goes, AAA expects Americans will travel more by car this year over last year, while air travel will dip by an estimated seven percent.
"It's always nice to catch a cheap flight," said Jeremiah Goff who moved to Myrtle Beach four years ago. "In the past, it was always cheaper to fly home. Now, it costs a little bit more. So now you got to drive, and the gas prices definitely impact that a lot."
This year, Goff's family is driving to see him, but they'll be paying more for gas this Thanksgiving.
On average, gas prices in the area are about $0.75 higher than they were last year.
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