‘Oh, Canada!’: Myrtle Beach hosts CAN-AM Days to welcome Canadian visitors back to the Grand Strand

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WMBF) - Canadians will soon begin making their way south to return to the Grand Strand and Myrtle Beach is preparing to welcome them with open arms during the 62nd Annual CAN-AM Days.

The week-long celebration helps welcome back returning visitors from the north and introduce new ones to the splendor the Grand Strand has to offer. Events will be held all week long including a CAN-AM party a Ripley’s Aquarium. With a valid Canadian ID, all Canadian visitors can also look forward to a variety of deals and discounts.

“We have a very long history of friendship between our two countries and specifically between Myrtle Beach and Canada,” said Riordan. “This is a small way to say we appreciate you, we’re happy you’re here and create an opportunity for them to be amongst each other.”

Hundreds of thousands of Canadians come to the Grand Strand every year and enjoy the sunny southern hospitality, Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce CEO and President Karen Riordan says the friendship between Myrtle Beach and Canada is decades long.

“Canadians make up 3% of the total number of visitors that come to the Grand Strand, while that may sound small, it’s actually not,” said Riordan. “Three percent of 17 million is hundreds of thousands of people who come and they tend to stay a lot longer than some of our other visitors so they’re definitely spending a lot of money while they’re here and enjoying the weather.”

CAN-AM Days is a way to thank Canadians for continuing to choose the Grand Strand as the destination for their vacation.

“They’ve been coming here for many, many years and it’s a way to kind of honor them and just say we appreciate you here, picking Myrtle Beach and not deciding to go somewhere else for winter,” she said.

CAN-AM Days begin Saturday, March 11, and run through March 19. The chamber will hold the welcome reception on March 13 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. within the lobby of its visitors center at 1200 N. Oak Street in Myrtle Beach.

For more information on CAN-AM Days, including special offers and events, visit CanAmDays.com.

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