The Myrtle Beach boardwalk area is lined with lights and displays and is hosting a “Winter Wonderland at the Beach” with light displays, a Family Fun Zone and live entertainment. Towns around the Myrtle Beach area have begun decorating for the holidays with many festivities scheduled throughout Horry County, S.C. this season. November 25, 2022.
JASON LEE
Myrtle Beach and Hilton Head made Tripadvisor’s national list of 10 U.S. trending winter destinations for this year.
The 10 cities were picked because Tripadvisor user winter travel date searches for them increased year over year. Both Myrtle Beach and Hilton Head offer plenty of things for visitors to do during the winter.
The Tripadvisor article touts the Happy Dolly Days celebrations at Myrtle Beach’s Kingston Resorts and the Harbour Town Lights at Hilton Head’s Sea Pines Resort.
Karen Riordan, president of the Myrtle Beach Area Convention and Visitor Bureau, said in an email that the organization is “deliberately putting more emphasis on turning the Grand Strand into a year-round destination.” She mentioned the upcoming wintertime sporting events, such as the Myrtle Beach Bowl on Dec. 19 and the National College Cornhole Championship from Dec. 29 to Jan. 1.
Winter visitors to Myrtle Beach can enjoy a live holiday extravaganza at The South’s Grandest Christmas Show or drive through two miles of lights at The Great Christmas Light Show.
In Hilton Head, stroll through illuminated boats at A Coastal Holiday at Shelter Cove Harbour & Marina and search for the Elf on the Shelf while shopping at the Tanger Outlets Hilton Head
Meanwhile, Myrtle Beach vacation rentals this December and January are projected to be lower than last winter, but higher than 2019-2020.
South Carolina was the only state with two locations on the list, which included cities from all over the country. Here are the 10 trending winter destinations for U.S. travelers, according to Tripadvisor.
- Chattanooga, TN
- Virginia Beach, VA
- Milwaukee, WI
- Indianapolis, IN
- Hilton Head, SC
- Minneapolis, MN
- Albuquerque, NM
- Jekyll Island, GA
- Charlotte, NC
- Myrtle Beach, SC
This story was originally published December 13, 2022 8:00 AM.
Eleanor Nash is the Service Journalism Reporter at the Sun News. Her reporting answers the burning questions of Horry County residents.