As I was writing the story on Greenville’s Travel Barometer report this week, I got an overwhelming sense of pride for my adopted hometown.
I’ve been here for a little over eight years now, and I still am continually amazed at all that Greenville has to offer. From our downtown, Cleveland Park and the Swamp Rabbit Trail to our mountains, waterfalls and lakes, the Upstate has more to see and do within a one-hour drive than entire states elsewhere in the country.
The report from VisitGreenvilleSC shows that I’m not the only one who thinks that, either. I mean, more than 5.3 million people come to visit Greenville each year. Not too shabby for a city of 60,000 people.
The report also shows that Greenville is only 1 percent behind major travel destinations like Savannah and Charleston in hotel occupancy. Again, I think that’s pretty impressive. Those destinations have pretty large tourism budgets and have many more years of marketing under their belt.
I spent the last several years before joining the Community Journals team doing freelance travel writing. That took me to many places, both near and far, and quite a bit throughout the southeastern U.S. In each place I visited, I met the passionate business owners and community leaders who help shape, grow and build their towns. They all seem to have one thing in common: pride in their community.
I see that same pride throughout Greenville while I am interviewing business owners and community leaders, or just walking down the street. People like to be here, they choose to be here and they are doing what they can to make Greenville a great place – not only to visit, but to live.
