The Beach, Boogie and Barbecue Festival gets under way Friday evening and continues through Saturday in Grand Park at the Market Common. It’s the fourth year for the festival at Myrtle Beach, which is the heart of the state’s $16 billion tourism industry.

The era when travelers will be able to catch a flight from New Mexico to outer space moved a step closer this week with the official start of construction of Spaceport America.

Some coastal South Carolina residents are getting an update on tourism trends during one location’s busiest time of the year.

The bittersweet theory seems to hold true: What is bad for the travel industry has been good for consumers. As Hawaii suffers from its biggest visitor decline since the Great Depression, the state is enticing travelers with discounted deals to offset the toll on its local economy.

Tourism officials in Las Vegas are worried that its “Sin City” image is making it toxic for business travelers.

An expert from Coastal Carolina University says the troubled economy will mean a lag in tourism in South Carolina this year.