(AP) -- South Carolina's $16 billion tourism industry is expected to make a slow, steady recovery this year, mirroring the national economy.
Parks, Recreation and Tourism Department spokesman Marion Edmonds said Friday room occupancy in the state dropped nearly 7 percent last year compared with 2008.
But Edmonds says the industry seems to be pulling out a slump and points out the occupancy decline for December was less than 2 percent. He says room rates were down, reflecting competition for travelers' dollars.
The Governor's Conference on Travel and Tourism gets under way next week in Myrtle Beach. PRT plans to unveil its new ad campaign and a reworked Web site to better help visitors find out what the state has to offer.
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