This year’s RBC Heritage Presented by Boeing will be played with limited spectators and strict health protocols because of the coronavirus pandemic. The annual event will still make an impact in the community.
Patrons who flock to Harbour Town Golf Links to watch some of the world’s top golfers have traditionally pumped millions of dollars into Hilton Head Island’s shops, restaurants and hotels.
How big of an impact has the event had on the Lowcountry? In 2019, the Heritage Classic Foundation hired Clemson University, in partnership with University of South Carolina Beaufort, to conduct a study to determine the economic impacts of the event.
THE FOLLOWING IS AN ABBREVIATED LOOK AT THE STUDY:
- In 2019, 135,000 people attended the event, bringing $102 million to the state’s economy. The event supported 1,131 jobs and generated $6.72 million in state and local taxes.
- Of the more than 2,220 people surveyed, more than 90% said they’d likely return to Hilton Head during another time of year.
- Visitors stayed on Hilton Head or in other areas of Beaufort County an average of five nights, spending an average of $672.70 per person. An estimated $38 million was spent by visitors on lodging and dining.
- Since 1987, the RBC Heritage has also contributed $44.6 million (now $45.8 million) to those in need in South Carolina and Georgia, including $3.2 million through the Heritage Classic Foundation in 2019.
BY THE NUMBERS
$102 MILLION
ADDED TO SOUTH CAROLINA’S ECONOMY
1,131
NEW JOBS SUPPORTED
94.6%
OF THOSE SURVEYED EXPRESSED SATISFACTION WITH THE TOURNAMENT
90.8%
OF VISITORS PLAN TO VISIT HILTON HEAD ISLAND AGAIN
75.4%
OF RESPONDENTS HAVE A FOUR-YEAR DEGREE
57.8%
OF THOSE SURVEYED MAKE MORE THAN $100,000 A YEAR
56.8%
OF RESPONDENTS LIVE OUTSIDE BEAUFORT COUNTY
53
WAS THE AVERAGE AGE OF RESPONDENTS
41.4%
OF THOSE SURVEYED SAID “WORD OF MOUTH” INFLUENCED THEIR DECISION TO ATTEND
28.8%
OF RESPONDENTS WERE FIRST-TIME SPECTATORS
