Lawmakers save $10 million for tourism in S.C. budget

State lawmakers, shuffling a shrinking stack of chips, decided to up their bet on tourism last week.

In an 11th-hour conference meeting, six members of the House and Senate plunked back into the budget $10 million to lure visitors, just a few weeks after the Senate took the allocation off the table. The last-minute switch is a testament to the growing lobbying power of tourism, one of the state's largest industries. The $7 billion spending plan has cuts between 2.5 percent and 5 percent for most agencies.

Those in the hospitality business argue that for every tax dollar spent pitching the state to potential visitors, the South Carolina economy reaps a $30 windfall, including $2.80 in additional tax revenue. It's hard to argue with numbers like that.

Assuming the spending plans gets past the governor's desk, the money would be distributed in grants matching community advertising initiatives $2 to $1.

However, Sanford keeps his ax sharp this time of year. And Sen. Hugh Leatherman, who rides herd over state spending, warned that $5 million of that funding would be the first to get chopped if state economic advisers say the budget needs more trimming. That group will meet again in two weeks, though they said further cuts are unlikely.

Getting light

Bracing for a plunge last week, American Airlines said it will jettison some expensive cargo, namely 10 percent to 12 percent of its domestic capacity by the end of the year. Considering that American flies more passengers than every U.S. carrier but Southwest, that's a lot of freight — roughly 80,000 flights a year.

Charleston, however, might manage to keep its three daily American routes between CHS and Dallas. The airline is adding a fourth daily route July 2 and area travel agents said the carrier is happy with its Holy City business.

Tim Wagner, an American spokesman, declined to say whether Charleston will be among the cities deserted. "Some of those detailed decisions simply have not been made," he explained.

Inn service

The celebrated Woodlands Resort & Inn banked some more bragging rights this month from Travel + Leisure magazine, ranking third in a list of top hotels for service.

That's third in the world. London's Milestone Hotel topped the list, followed by the Mandarin Oriental in Munich. The Woodlands was the only North American property on the roster. The sybaritic Summerville gem finished No. 1 for service in the U.S. and Canada.

Who knows how they compare a lodging in Summerville with a hotel in Helsinki, but hats off to long-time Woodlands GM Marty Wall and his staff.

Reach Kyle Stock at 937-5763 or kstock@postandcourier.com.