Photo by David Steltz

The controversial 1% sales tax approved by the City of Myrtle Beach in 2009 was designed to increase out of market tourism promotion. In 2010, the tax has generated nearly $20 million in funds to be managed by the Chamber of Commerce.

The Chamber has held several public presentations to demonstrate how the money is being spent and what results we're seeing from the spending. Dawn Bryant of The Sun News has all the numbers from yesterday's presentation. Read it here.

The controversy in the Tourism Development Fee (TDF), also referred to as the "AdTax" by some locals, still rages on 2 years after it was passed by city Council. The tax has been the target of wide criticism from locals and state officials including both Governors Sanford and Haley. The Chamber insists that by aggressively investing in tourism promotion, our area will see overall economic recovery before most markets.