Greater Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston Tourism Statistics
A sourced snapshot of the visitor economy behind the coast, the culture, and the local shops worth seeking out.
Last updated October 27, 2026. Figures below are for 2024, the latest full-year regional impact study available at the time of this update.
The Big Picture
Charleston is a high-spend visitor market.
Greater Charleston welcomed nearly 7.9 million visitors in 2024. The College of Charleston's Office of Tourism Analysis reports that visitor spending drove a record $14.03 billion in regional economic impact, with growth in average spending outpacing the rise in visitor volume.
For independent shops, artists, writers, and local-business watchers, these figures put real scale behind a simple truth: people come here for a sense of place, then spend time and money discovering it.
7.89M
visitors
The Greater Charleston Area welcomed an estimated 7.89 million visitors in 2024, up 1.2% from 2023.
Source: College of Charleston, 2024$14.03B
economic impact
Tourism's estimated 2024 economic impact in the Greater Charleston Area was $14.03 billion, a 7.1% increase from 2023.
Source: College of Charleston, 2024$1,105
per adult trip
Average total expenditure per adult visitor trip was $1,105 in 2024.
Source: College of Charleston, 2024$98
retail per adult trip
Average retail shopping expenditure was $98 per adult visitor trip in 2024.
Source: College of Charleston, 202454.9K
hospitality jobs
An estimated 54,900 Greater Charleston residents worked in leisure and hospitality in 2024, measured as a 12-month average.
Source: College of Charleston, 20244.95M
hotel room nights
Hotels sold 4,945,370 room nights in 2024, with average occupancy at 70.6%.
Source: College of Charleston, 2024$1.55B
lodging sales
Estimated hotel and vacation-rental lodging sales reached $1.55 billion in 2024.
Source: College of Charleston, 20246.30M
airport passengers
Charleston International Airport recorded 6,295,439 passengers in 2024.
Source: College of Charleston, 2024What Visitors Come For
Shopping belongs in the trip.
The same 2024 study lists shopping alongside history, waterfronts, restaurants, festivals, tours, outdoor recreation, and attractions as a key draw for Greater Charleston visitors. That matters because shopping here is rarely just transactional. The good stuff carries a story home.
Black Octopus Mercantile is part of that local layer: original coastal artwork and apparel made in Park Circle, for visitors and locals who would rather find something with a point of view than another generic souvenir.
Find A Better Souvenir →Methodology & Sources
How to read these numbers.
Every figure on this page comes from Estimation of Tourism's Economic Impacts in the Greater Charleston Area, 2024, prepared by the Office of Tourism Analysis at the College of Charleston and published in 2025. The study covers the Greater Charleston Area and combines data from regional tourism, lodging, airport, tax, labor, and travel sources.
Economic impact and labor earnings are model-based estimates. Hotel inventory refers to properties with 25 or more rooms, and employment figures are 12-month averages for leisure and hospitality jobs. Use the source report for its full methodology and definitions.
Cite This Page
Black Octopus Mercantile. “Charleston Tourism Statistics: 2024 Visitor Economy.” Updated October 27, 2026. https://blackoctopusmerch.com/charleston-tourism-statistics