Brett Banter

As surely as the sun rises and sets each day, it's a definite that people will disagree. At Brett we blog about the inevitability of conflict, because we see it happening all the time in our community and within our government.

Just last month in Columbia, the South Carolina Hospitality Association bought 29 billboard ads at a cost of $500,000 as part of a year-long campaign designed to bring more customers and revenue to Richland County businesses. A 2% surtax on hotel rooms and meals will provide the funds for this billboard marketing effort, part of the association’s Stay in Columbia campaign, also referred to as the "Famously Hot" campaign.

Many folks are also vehemently opposed to this billboard campaign and the money being spent on it, foreseeing major government budget cuts in years ahead. Hospitality association and campaign backers assert that the only way to funnel new money and new lifeblood into South Carolina's tourism industry is to spend money advertising what the state has to offer... in other words, putting a little out to get even more back in.

Either way, it will be interesting to see how this controversy plays out in the coming year and the overall effectiveness of the Hospitality Association's campaign.

Thanks to the South Carolina Policy Council for their original blog post and stance on this issue. You can also read more on the South Carolina Hospitality Association's Stay in Columbia web site.