Visit Myrtle Beach recognized for autism-friendly travel efforts

MYRTLE BEACH, SC (WMBF) – Visit Myrtle Beach is getting recognized for its efforts in supporting autism-friendly travel.

In a news release, Visit Myrtle Beach said it is one of only two U.S.-based destination marketing organizations to receive a 2024 Travel Vanguard Award from Afar magazine. Visit Myrtle Beach refers to Afar as an “international authority in inspiring and empowering conscientious travelers.”

Visit Myrtle Beach was recognized for its efforts to make vacations more accessible and enjoyable for neurodivergent individuals and their families.

“According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately one in 36 children in the U.S. have autism — and based on a 2019 study by Autism Travel, about 87 percent of their families don’t take vacations,” author Ellen Carpenter wrote in Afar’s article announcing the awards. “Visit Myrtle Beach (VMB), the tourism arm for the South Carolina coastal area, is making moves to change that.”

This comes as the Grand Strand’s sensory-friendly atmosphere is now the center of a new Peacock show.

“Myrtle Beach, Surfside Beach and surrounding communities have created a place that’s comfortable for people with autism, mobility issues and visual impairments – who don’t often travel – because we believe that travel is transformative and everyone deserves to experience our 60 miles of beaches plus so much more,” Visit Myrtle Beach Chief Marketing Officer Stuart Butler said for Afar’s article.

Click here for more information on Myrtle Beach’s commitment to a sensory-inclusive environment.

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