Sports and Recreation Tourism Strategic Study

Richland County is seeking qualified firms to conduct a Sports and Recreation Tourism Strategic Study to better understand the County’s potential to attract, develop, and capitalize on sports, indoor/outdoor recreation, and leisure tourism as drivers of economic development. The study will provide the County with data, market intelligence, and strategic recommendations to guide investment, destination development, business recruitment, event attraction, infrastructure planning, and support for existing local businesses.

The study should evaluate Richland County’s competitive position within the Midlands, broader South Carolina, and regional tourism market, identify opportunities to increase visitor spending and length of stay, and establish strategies for leveraging the County’s existing recreational assets, parks, trails, waterways, athletic facilities, events, businesses, and natural resources.

The study should also consider connections to regional destinations and assets where those relationships influence tourism visitation, visitor spending, or the County’s ability to attract sports and recreation-related investment, as well as evaluate emerging trends in the sports and recreation tourism industry.

Richland County covers approximately 770 square miles in the center of South Carolina. As the home of the state capital, Columbia, Richland County serves as a hub for government, education, commerce, healthcare, culture, and recreation in the Midlands region.

The County has a diverse and growing population, with approximately 40 percent of residents holding a bachelor’s degree or higher. According to Reimagine Richland, “Richland County stands out as a young and diverse County, with a median age nearly six years younger than the state average and one of the most racially and ethnically diverse populations in South Carolina.” The County’s population is projected to reach approximately 450,000 by 2040.

Richland County’s location, population growth, transportation network, natural resources, recreational amenities, and proximity to Columbia provide a strong foundation for sports and recreation tourism. The County has the potential to capture additional visitor spending through youth and amateur sports, tournaments and competitions, outdoor recreation, trails and greenways, water-based recreation, fishing, cycling, running events, equestrian activities, parks, special events, and other forms of active and passive recreation.

As the County continues to grow, there is an opportunity to more intentionally connect recreation and tourism assets with economic development objectives. Sports and recreation visitors can generate demand for lodging, restaurants, retail, entertainment, transportation, equipment and service providers, and other businesses. In addition, well-planned recreational investments can improve quality of life for residents while creating destinations capable of attracting visitors from outside the County.

The County seeks to better understand the economic potential of this sector and identify opportunities to increase the number of visitors, extend visitor stays, increase visitor spending, support local businesses, attract new investment, and strengthen Richland County’s position as a competitive sports and recreation destination.