courtney vris
Charleston, SC: Making & Preserving History
Courtney Vris | November 29, 2023
By Courtney Vris Europeans first settled in the city that would become Charleston over 350 years ago.[1] Charleston’s rich history is one of the drivers of its thriving tourism sector, which tallied 7.68 million visitors in 2022. In the hospitality industry, Charleston continues to make history, while local initiatives are also making strides to preserve it. Demand Peaks & Historic Milestones The global renown of Charleston as a tourist destination continued in 2023 with its rank as the #1 city in the United States for the eleventh year in a row, according to Travel + Leisure readers. In 2023, Charleston gained a spot among Tra...
Charlotte, North Carolina: Queen City on the Rise
Janet Snyder | July 7, 2023
By Janet Snyder, Courtney Vris While growth in the life sciences, energy, education, and manufacturing industries is contributing to Charlotte’s rise, it’s the financial services/fintech industry that gives the city its power to the throne. Bank of America, Truist Financial, and Wells Fargo all have either a headquarters office or a regional hub in the Queen City. As of 2023, financial firms in the Charlotte-region MSA support over 100,000 jobs, which is more than ever recorded before, even prior to the pandemic. Yes, this sector’s return to the office was slow following the pandemic depths and the uncertain climate precipitated ...