SC city spent nearly $500 thousand on decorations to lure tourists. Did it work?
Reality Check is a new Sun News series holding those in power accountable, shining a light on local issues, and answering readers' essential questions. Have a question or concern we can answer? Email online@thesunnews.com.
The city of Conway is known for elaborate decorations that cover its streets each time a holiday rolls around.
However, each year, those festivities come with a hefty bill.
Conway takes its celebrations seriously, even changing its name to City of Halloween for the month of October, when pumpkins and skeletons loom around every corner. Come Christmas time, the city becomes a twinkling beacon straight out of a Hallmark movie. And the decorating doesn't stop at these major holidays — if there's cause for celebration, Conway dresses itself up accordingly.
In the past three years alone, the city has spent more than half a million dollars on its decorations. These holiday expenses, which have increased in recent years, are an effort to attract more visitors to the city, but has it worked?
Year after year, putting up festive decorations requires a healthy dose of planning, effort and money. But the city believes it's all worth it for the tourists it brings to town, and the joy it brings its year-round residents.
'Holiday decorations and events offer extra value to the quality of life our residents,' city spokesperson June Wood said in an email to The Sun News. 'Over the last several years, the increased decor has correlated to increased foot traffic and in return more revenue for businesses.'
According to city expense reports shared by Wood, Conway has spent more than $100,000 in each of the past three fiscal years to make its holiday makeovers possible.
In the 2022-2023 fiscal year, the city spent $116,391 on decorations. The following year, it spent $198,264 on decorations. In the 2024-2025 fiscal year, the grand decoration total came out to just over $229,712.
The holiday decorations are funded through the city's 'hospitality funds,' according to Wood. These funds are collected from city businesses rather than through taxes from residents.
Conway's holiday decorating as it's known today kicked off in 2019, when plastic jack-o'-lanterns were hung from the trees along Main Street. The festivities have continued to grow since then.
'I think that in 2019 it really started as more of a community-focused event,' Wood said in an interview. But in the first few years of decorating, Wood said she saw interest in holidays spent in Conway expand to a regional, and then a national scale.
According to the city's seasonal visitation data, foot traffic has also grown over the years, particularly around Halloween and Christmas.
In 2019, Conway welcomed just under 150,000 visitors in October. In the past few years, the city has seen more than double that amount of tourists during the Halloween month, with more than 225,000 people stopping by in October 2024.
In December 2019, an average of 4,000 visitors strolled the streets of Conway each day, and about 8,000 visitors came to the city on average each weekend day. As of 2024, an average of just over 6,000 visitors came to town each day in December, with the weekend daily average jumping to almost 12,000.
Wood said in an email that the decorations have been a worthwhile endeavor for the city because they give people more reasons to visit the city, bringing in more business. Wood said in a later interview that the city has seen increases in its hospitality funds and city revenue since the decorating started, which opens up more possibilities, as these are the funds used to pay for the decor.
She also said that businesses have expressed that it has been a benefit to them as well.
In the past few years, Wood explained that the city has also started 'dabbling' in other holidays, such as Valentine's Day.
'We have found that with every new season our residents are excited for the next seasonal celebration and plan family events and vacations that will offer them additional activities,' she wrote.
Before decorating for holidays, Wood said that the city didn't bring in much tourism. Aside from some people taking day trips to stroll along the Riverwalk, or families visiting Coastal Carolina University students, Conway didn't experience much outside traffic.
While Wood said the city's goal is not generating tourism, but rather making it a better place for residents to live, she noted that decorating the city has brought about a noticeable change in the number of out-of-town visitors.
For Conway, the community spirit and new revenue streams generated by decorating has been worth the cost, Wood said. The city has no plans to stop its festivities any time soon.
Solve the daily Crossword
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Axios
10 hours ago
- Axios
The tariffs that stole Christmas
The Christmas business is typically pretty cheerful, but not this year: Companies that import and sell Christmas trees, twinkling lights and other holiday decorations say they've been hammered by tariffs. Why it matters: You'll likely pay more for holiday supplies, and have fewer products to choose from — industry leaders are even warning about possible shortages. "There's no question that it will be harder to find the exact tree and decor that that you want this year, and it'll be more expensive," says Jami Warner, executive director of the American Christmas Tree Association. Where it stands: Christmas executives (yes, that's a thing) have had to be real Scrooges since President Trump's "Liberation Day" tariffs. They've laid off workers, canceled or cut back imports, and raised prices to deal with higher import taxes — and they're still waiting to see where tariffs wind up. "It's like lack of sleep, absolute anxiety fest all the time — ulcers. I mean, it's just awful," says Jared Hendricks CEO of Village Lighting Company, which sells Christmas lighting and decorations. Hendricks says he has a loan of about $1 million, backed by his house, that he may need to tap to pay tariffs to bring product into the country. Shipments are still coming overseas, delayed after he canceled everything in the wake of the 145% tariff rate that was briefly in effect on China this spring. Catch up fast: The White House backed off triple-digit China tariffs, but they're still highat 30% — and could go higher yet. To afford these fees, companies are importing less. "Everyone is ordering less," says Dan Casterella, CEO of American Christmas, a holiday decorating business (they do Rockefeller Center and other major displays). "I'm getting emails weekly from factories in China with people who have canceled orders or companies that have gone out of business asking us to buy product," he says, noting that he has let go 20% of his full-time staff, about 100 people, to make up for tariff costs. By the numbers: Prices overall for Christmas decor could be 15 to 20% higher, according to interviews with executives in the industry and the American Christmas Tree Association. Certain items might be harder to find. "There are whole categories of trees that we may not have, or we have really small quantities of," says Mac Harman, founder of Balsam Hill, which primarily sells artificial trees. "Eventually, we'll get to a point where we may not have any trees." The intrigue: It's not totally clear that consumers will see all these price increases. The smaller importers say they're being pressured to absorb much of these costs. " Our big-box customers are telling us, 'we've promised that we're not going to raise prices, so you guys have to eat it,' " Hendricks says. Reality check: Plenty of folks have their ornaments and trees safely stored away for re-use every year. And beyond decor, stores will still be stocked with stuff you can buy for friends and family.
Business Insider
11 hours ago
- Business Insider
COIN, BMNR, RBLX: Cathie Wood Buys Over $54M of Crypto Stocks, Dumps Roblox Stake
's ARK Invest ETFs (exchange-traded funds) made aggressive moves in the crypto space on August 1, snapping up more than $54 million worth of shares in Coinbase (COIN) and Ethereum-focused company, Bitmine Immersion Technologies (BMNR). Meanwhile, Wood trimmed her positions in online gaming platform Roblox (RBLX) and biotech firm Adaptive Biotechnologies (ADPT). Elevate Your Investing Strategy: Take advantage of TipRanks Premium at 50% off! Unlock powerful investing tools, advanced data, and expert analyst insights to help you invest with confidence. Wood Doubles Down on Crypto Stocks The biggest buy of the day was Coinbase, with ARK scooping up 94,678 shares worth $35.8 million across its ARK Innovation ETF (ARKK), ARK Next Generation Internet ETF (ARKW), and ARK Fintech Innovation ETF (ARKF) funds. ARK also continued building its stake in Bitmine Immersion Technologies, purchasing 540,712 shares worth approximately $18.73 million. Like Coinbase, this investment was spread across ARKK, ARKW, and ARKF. The fund has been actively increasing its Ethereum holdings, which now exceed $2 billion, and has plans to acquire and stake up to 5% of Ethereum's total supply. BMNR stock has soared over 300% year-to-date, but Wood continues to buy aggressively on every pullback, showing strong conviction despite the sharp rally. Notably, the stock was down over 8% yesterday. Beyond crypto, ARK added 342,933 shares of Roku (ROKU) worth $32.29 million, and 162,211 shares of Illumina (ILMN) for $17.28 million. ARK Trims Stakes in RBLX and ADPT On the sell side, Wood sold a considerable portion of Roblox, offloading 353,530 shares for a total of $48.71 million. ARK Invest also trimmed its position in Adaptive Biotechnologies, selling 39,393 shares for $403,384. This follows a multi-week pattern of steady selling in the stock, reflecting either valuation concerns or a shift in ARK's genomics strategy. Let's take a brief look at how all these stocks perform on .
Time Business News
17 hours ago
- Time Business News
Hospitality Cash Flow Experts Reveal Smart Ways to Keep Your Restaurant Profitable in Australia
Managing cash flow remains one of the most significant challenges facing Australian hospitality businesses today. Between rising ingredient prices, staff shortages, fluctuating customer demand, and seasonal shifts, restaurant owners must continuously monitor how money moves in and out of their business. Cash flow problems have been the downfall of many bustling restaurants, even those with strong customer turnout. When cash inflows slow down or expenses spike unexpectedly, even profitable operations can find themselves struggling to meet ongoing costs and turn a profit. This article distills valuable insights from hospitality cash flow experts, offering practical tips tailored specifically for Australian restaurants. You will also discover how debt collection services designed for the hospitality sector can assist in recovering unpaid invoices and reducing financial losses. Running a restaurant in Australia is no easy feat. The hospitality industry faces distinct pressures from the cyclical nature of business. Peak seasons like Christmas, Easter, and school holidays bring busy trading periods, whereas months such as February and July can be notoriously slow. Despite fluctuations in sales, rent, wages, and supplier bills must be paid promptly. One delayed payment can cause a domino effect, especially if multiple customers or clients postpone their payments. Even restaurants with steady foot traffic can experience cash flow crunches. Moreover, suppliers often enforce strict payment terms. Falling behind on payments can jeopardize supply reliability, potentially disrupting kitchen operations. Add in recurring expenses such as marketing campaigns, equipment maintenance, and utility bills, and cash flow management becomes a complex balancing act. The unpredictable interplay of revenue and expenses means business owners must maintain a careful watch over daily income and outgoings, anticipating upcoming costs and planning for unexpected setbacks. Cash flow experts bring structured financial planning and clarity to what can often feel like a whirlwind of transactions. These professionals analyse daily sales, spending habits, and fixed costs, providing restaurateurs with a clear picture of how money flows through their operations. Beyond just tracking income and expenses, cash flow experts prepare businesses for significant upcoming spending such as tax obligations, licence renewals, or major equipment repairs ensuring these costs are factored into financial plans well in advance. Their expertise enables early identification of profit leaks and cash flow pressure points. By implementing well-tested strategies and simple operational adjustments recommended by such experts, restaurants can dramatically improve their financial resilience. For example, cash flow consultants may suggest renegotiating supplier terms, tweaking menu prices, or implementing cash flow forecasting software. These insights are invaluable to restaurateurs aiming to sustain profitability through volatile periods. Improving cash flow is often about making small, strategic adjustments that cumulatively create significant positive effects. Here are several actionable tips hospitality cash flow experts recommend: Review Daily Earnings and Stock Levels: Monitor daily sales to adjust your stock purchases accurately. Avoid overstocking items with slower turnover to reduce waste and free up cash. Monitor daily sales to adjust your stock purchases accurately. Avoid overstocking items with slower turnover to reduce waste and free up cash. Focus on High-Margin Menu Items: Identify your best-selling and most profitable dishes, and consider promoting these more heavily. Updating your menu periodically ensures alignment with current customer preferences and profitability goals. Identify your best-selling and most profitable dishes, and consider promoting these more heavily. Updating your menu periodically ensures alignment with current customer preferences and profitability goals. Offer Incentives for Early or Prepaid Bookings: Encourage customers to pay upfront or early by offering small discounts or value-added incentives. This can improve cash flows and reduce the likelihood of no-shows. Encourage customers to pay upfront or early by offering small discounts or value-added incentives. This can improve cash flows and reduce the likelihood of no-shows. Implement Deposit Requirements for Large Groups: For functions or large bookings, require a deposit to secure the reservation. This helps cover upfront costs and reduces the risk of cancellations without notice. For functions or large bookings, require a deposit to secure the reservation. This helps cover upfront costs and reduces the risk of cancellations without notice. Schedule Staff According to Customer Traffic: Use historical sales data to predict busy and slow periods, aligning staff rosters accordingly to avoid overstaffing and minimise labour costs. Use historical sales data to predict busy and slow periods, aligning staff rosters accordingly to avoid overstaffing and minimise labour costs. Use Automated Financial Tracking Software: Invest in software solutions that automatically track income, expenses, and key performance indicators (KPIs). Real-time financial insights enable faster decision-making and accurate budgeting. Invest in software solutions that automatically track income, expenses, and key performance indicators (KPIs). Real-time financial insights enable faster decision-making and accurate budgeting. Maintain a Cash Reserve: Wherever possible, build a cash cushion through disciplined savings during profitable periods to buffer against slow months or unexpected costs. Taking a proactive, data-driven approach to daily operations helps maintain control over money movement and prevents budget overruns. These small improvements also build a culture of financial mindfulness among staff. Many restaurants operate with payment terms, especially when providing group functions, catering, or events where invoices are sent after the service. Unfortunately, delayed or unpaid client invoices are common, which can severely disrupt cash flow. The best debt collection services for restaurants designed specifically for Australian small businesses including restaurants offer expert support to recover overdue payments without harming customer relationships. These agencies understand the hospitality sector's nuances. They balance professional firmness with respectful communication to maintain goodwill and compliance with Australian consumer laws. Some collection agencies integrate directly with your point-of-sale systems, allowing you to send overdue accounts for recovery conveniently. Utilising a reputable debt collection service can reduce losses, improve cash inflows, and free up valuable time for managers to focus on operations rather than chasing payments. If an invoice remains unpaid for over 30 days despite multiple reminders and no response from the client, it may be time to consider professional debt collection. Acting early increases the likelihood of recovering debts and avoids the amount becoming more difficult to recoup later. However, choosing the right agency is crucial. Look for agencies experienced in hospitality, able to tailor their approach to your restaurant's specific needs and budget. Transparent communication and regular case updates are essential features of a reliable service. When selecting a cash flow consultant or financial advisor, hospitality experience is vital. The advisor should provide straightforward, actionable advice that fits your restaurant's size, location, and operational model. Furthermore, compatibility with your existing accountant or bookkeeper ensures seamless integration and avoids duplication or conflicting strategies. Ask for references or case studies demonstrating their success in helping Australian restaurants across major cities such as Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane. An ideal advisor will not only crunch numbers but also understand the daily realities of running a restaurant business and offer solutions that are practical and achievable. Cash flow issues affect every restaurant at some stage, but they don't have to signal failure. With the right tools, forward planning, and expert support, your restaurant can maintain profitability . best debt collection services for restaurants withstand the inevitable ups and downs of business. Regularly monitoring your financial health, encouraging upfront deposits, fine-tuning operational efficiencies, and enlisting professional help for overdue payments make a tangible difference. Remember: profit isn't a lucky accident. It comes from disciplined planning, smart decision-making, and the willingness to seek outside help when needed. If you're struggling with cash flow or late payments, don't wait to speak to a debt collection agency or a hospitality cash flow expert today to set your business on stable financial footing and preserve its future success. TIME BUSINESS NEWS
