Charleston Women Summer 2020

www.CharlestonBrides.com | www.ChsWomenInBusiness.com | www.ReadCWomen.com CW - 11 Lowcountry come together through other historic events, like the Navy base closure in the 1990s, the Sofa Super Store fire and the Mother Emanuel tragedy. “I have seen how our community can pull together through some of the most horrific, horrible things. I’m hopeful that 10 years from now, when we look back on COVID-19, we’ll say, ‘Gosh, it really brought our community together in a way never done before.’ Look at technology – a lot of businesses haven’t missed a beat because people are working from home. A lot of people are still interested in our community — the pipeline hasn’t exactly slowed down, it’s just changed.” In terms of today’s market, Hill and her team at the CACVB are working harder than ever to restore the tourism industry because it drives our local economy. The College of Charleston’s Office of Tourism Analysis estimated that the pandemic’s economic impact to Charleston was over a billion dollars in only the first two months, and our region saw hotel occupancy rates drop from approximately 85% in recent years to under 15%, while hospitality industry unemployment skyrocketed to 65%. Fortunately, at the time this article was written, occupancy rates were climbing again, and hotels that were temporarily closed were reopened. “Our whole goal is to get someone to spend the night,” Hill said. “Our great impact for the community – starting with the job and the economic impact it creates – it all feature “I have seen how our community can pull together through some of the most horrific, horrible things. I’m hopeful that 10 years from now, when we look back on COVID-19, we’ll say, ‘Gosh, it really brought our community together ….”