State park revenue at record high

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The opening of a new campground at Huntington Beach State Park brought state park revenue to record levels, according to the latest indicators from the S.C. Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism.

State parks generated $3,076,639 in total revenue in March, a 25% increase from March 2017 and a 15.9% jump in year-to-date revenue from the previous fiscal year.

South Carolina also saw an increase in hotel RevPAR, or revenue per available room, a performance metric calculated by dividing a hotel’s total room revenue by the room count and number of days in the period being measured.

Statewide hotel RevPAR increased 3.8% from March of 2017 and 2.2% in year-to-date revenue.

In other key indicators, Myrtle Beach International Airport reported a state-best 13.2% increase in deplanements from March 2017. Overall, deplanements at S.C.’s five measured airports increased 10% for the month.

Columbia Metropolitan Airport saw a 0.2% decrease in deplanements in March compared to 2017, though the airport’s deplanements are up 2.5% year-to-date.

Admission tax figures continue to be unavailable as the S.C. Department of Revenue overhauls its reporting system.