Feedback from local residents, business owners and visitors will be the main driver behind a community enrichment plan that will be developed by the city of Isle of Palms, in collaboration with Explore Charleston, the College of Charleston and The McNair Group.
The travel and hospitality industries are vital to the island's identity and economy, but the project aims to maintain an equilibrium between tourism and residents’ quality of life, which plays a significant role in tourism’s success and is critical to the IOP community's overall well-being.
The community enrichment plan will involve obtaining substantial community input and data that will guide the city on how to productively deal with the complexities of regional population growth. These efforts will help IOP thrive as it strives to be the most sustainable, family-friendly beach community in South Carolina.
Data will be collected through surveys, focus groups and large listening sessions.
The first step in the process will be to gather as much information as possible from the community through a survey that will take only a few minutes to complete but will play an important role in guiding the process.
Step two involves forming a committee comprised of residents, business owners, city leaders and tourism experts that will be responsible for developing recommendations that will livability and tourism management and facilitate community enrichment on a continuous basis.
The data and insight that are collected will be used to develop recommendations for an ongoing plan that will foster livability, sustainability and responsible economic development.
“This project will shape how we balance the well-being of residents and the island as a whole while maintaining economic growth,” said IOP Mayor Phillip Pounds. “Working with the entire community is vital, and all feedback is valued. There are many ways we can improve the city, and this community enrichment plan is a step toward finding the most effective solutions.”
For updates on the community enrichment plan, visit iop.net. For more information, contact Chaundra Yudchenko, public relations and tourism coordinator, at chaundray@iop.net.
