COLUMBIA, S.C – In 2019, Columbia made history by hosting a portion of the March Madness tournament, bringing excitement and a big economic impact to the city. However, despite the event’s success, Columbia faces a challenge that could impact its ability to attract similar large-scale events in the future…a lack of full-service hotels.
According to Scott Powers, a local tourism expert, Columbia doesn’t have enough hotels that offer the full range of amenities necessary to host major events.
“We simply don’t have enough full-service hotels with large meeting spaces and restaurants. Without them, we can’t compete,” Powers said. He emphasized the importance of hotels with traditional room service, meeting spaces, and dining options to attract large conventions and sporting events.
While Columbia has seen an increase in hotel rooms, with more than 13,000 available as of December 2023, Powers explained that the city still falls short in terms of space and services.
“Over half of the people we meet with at trade shows need more space than we currently have to offer,” Powers said.
The last full-service hotel in Columbia was built almost 20 years ago. But Columbia Metropolitan Airport Properties Manager, Lindsay Copelan, is working to change that.
“We’re actively seeking a developer to build and operate a full-service hotel,” Copelan said.
“We see a great need for it in the market, especially with seventy percent of our traffic leaving before 10 a.m.,” Copelan said.
This new hotel aims would give Columbia a competitive edge in attracting visitors and events. More travelers means more revenue for local businesses and a better shot at landing a future March Madness bid.
