How South Carolina town shed its 'Dirty Myrtle' reputation to become a hot spot for retirees
Myrtle Beach, situated along a 60-mile string of beaches, has become home to America's fastest growing population of retirees.
The number of over-65s living in the seaside town rose by 6.3 per cent last year, according to the latest Census Bureau data, and the senior population's grown by over 22 per cent since 2020 - the fastest rate for a U.S. town this decade.
While the vacation hotspot got over 18 million tourists every year, the senior population made up over a quarter of around 413,000 year-round residents.
The beachfront town's known for its mile-long boardwalk and iconic 200ft Ferris wheel.
Where once there were biker rallies, noise, traffic, and ensuing rowdiness led the city to take measures to end such events in the late 2000s.
The streets since were more likely to be lined with seniors playing pickleball and enjoying food quietly outdoors.
The pandemic accelerated the town's senior boom, because many longtime visitors from Ohio and NYC decided to take the opportunity to relocate.
Many guests chose to retire early, while others who were freed by homeworking decided to relocate with their families.
Longtime resident Mark Kruea, who's running for mayor, told the Associated Press: 'Many people converted that thought into action. The climate's great, taxes are low, there's a wealth of opportunities for recreation, dining and shopping.'
Myrtle Beach's located roughly halfway between NYC and Miami, which appealed to older people who wanted to retire at the beach location but did not want to go all the way down to Florida or other Southern states.
The relatively small Myrtle Beach International Airport had direct flights to many locations across the States.
The local weather's also ideal for retirees as the seasons were not too extreme.
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Telegraph
an hour ago
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‘I moved to the US for a better salary, and pay just 10pc tax'
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But while a tax might deter the budget-conscious, it probably wouldn't deter high income, experience-driven tourists. Alternatively, a cap-and-trade system would create a limited number of Antarctica visitor permits for a fixed period. The initial distribution of permits could be among tourism operators or countries, via negotiation, auction or lottery. Unused permits could then be sold, making them quite valuable. Caps have been successful at managing tourism impacts elsewhere, such as Lord Howe Island, although there are no trades allowed in that system. Any cap on tourist numbers in Antarctica, and rules for trading, must be based on evidence about what the environment can handle. But there is a lack of precise data on Antarctica's carrying capacity. And permit allocations amongst the operators and nations would need to be fair and inclusive. Alternatively, existing industry standards could be augmented with independent schemes certifying particular practices – for example, reducing carbon footprints. This could be backed by robust monitoring and enforcement to avoid greenwashing. Looking ahead Given the complexities of Antarctic governance, our research finds that the most workable solution is a combination of these market-based options, alongside other regulatory measures. So far, parties to the Antarctic treaty have made very few binding rules for the tourism industry. And some market-based levers will be more acceptable to the parties than others. But doing nothing is not a solution. Darla Hatton MacDonald is a Professor of Environmental Economics at the University of Tasmania. Elizabeth Leane is a Professor of Antarctic Studies at the School of Humanities, University of Tasmania. The authors would like to acknowledge Valeria Senigaglia, Natalie Stoeckl and Jing Tian and the rest of the team for their contributions to the research upon which this article was based.
The Guardian
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