WELCOME TO SOUTH CAROLINA ...
... EXCEPT ON TUESDAYS AND WEDNESDAYS
By SCOTT POWELL Ledger Staff Writer spowell@gaffneyledger.com

The Blacksburg Welcome Center's annual Tourism Day has included demonstrations by local artisans as well as live music. The state sounded a sour note with budget cuts that resulted in the center being closed two days a week.

State budget cuts will force the Blacksburg area Welcome Center to close two days a week in 2009.

South Carolina's Welcome Centers provide travel information and assistance to more than 1.6 million visitors annually. Welcome Center staff generates an estimated $1.8 million in lodging and attraction revenue annually.

Effective Jan. 13, the state's nine Welcome Centers will be open Thursday through Monday from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m.

The centers will be closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Those days are traditionally the two slowest days of the week for visitors.

The South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism is changing its operating hours following budget cuts that forced the state agency to eliminate all part-time employees on Nov. 1.

Blacksburg Welcome Center Supervisor Linda Wilson received the news during a conference call Monday morning. She has four staff members to run the Welcome Center after losing four part-time positions before the holidays.

The reduced operating hours are expected to continue for the remainder of the year and will likely continue into 2010 due to a tight state budget, Wilson said.

"We regret it. This will limit some of the services we are able to provide the public as well as our ability to generate tourism income," Wilson said. "Interstate 85 is on the corporate corridor. We make reservations for camping, motels, golf tee times and help people get tickets for shows."

The state Parks, Recreation and Tourism agency first considered the option of reducing operating hours in November. Welcome Center managers and other fulltime staff wanted to try to continue operating the centers seven days a week.

"Most welcome centers do not have enough full-time staff to cover a 7-day work week when annual leave, staff leave and other personnel concerns are factored into the staffing equation," Wilson said.

South Carolina is one of several states that have reduced the operating hours for Welcome Centers because of state budget cuts. North Carolina and Virginia changed their hours late last year.