The Grand Strand is a large stretch of beaches on the East Coast of the United States extending from Little River to Georgetown in South Carolina. It consists of more than 60 miles along an essentially uninterrupted arc of beach land, beginning around the Little River and terminating at Winyah Bay. The population of the Grand Strand is at 480,000. The term Grand Strand dates back to a November 19, 1949 The Myrtle Beach Sun column titled “From the Grandstand” and another titled “From the Grand Strand” on December 3, 1949 in The Myrtle Beach News. “Strand” itself derives from the German Strand, meaning “beach”. The area has become a major tourist attraction along the Southeastern coast, with its primary city, Myrtle Beach, attracting over ten million visitors each season. It is home to numerous restaurants and theme parks, making it popular with families and college students in the summer and snowbirds during the winter. The Grand Strand’s economy is dominated by the tourist industry, with tourism bringing in millions of dollars each year. Hotels, motels, resorts, restaurants, attractions, and retail developments exist in abundance to service visitors. There are over 100 golf courses in and around Myrtle Beach as the golfing industry represents a significant presence in the area. A manufacturing base produces plastic, rubber, cardboard, foam, and ceramic products usually in small scale. read more…
