Hilton Head Island Stands Ready to Safely Welcome Visitors

“America’s Favorite Island” in South Carolina’s Lowcountry, Hilton Head Island has just released its new Path Forward Readiness Plan, a comprehensive strategy for reopening the community and once again welcoming visitors to its shores.

As interest in U.S. domestic tourism starts to revive, this charming Southern resort town wants travelers to consider coming to enjoy its many outdoor and socially-distanced activities and experiences, knowing that their health and safety is paramount to hospitality providers.

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"We are taking all the necessary precautions needed to keep our visitors and residents safe," says Bill Miles, President and CEO of the Hilton Head Island-Bluffton Chamber of Commerce. "We are looking to keep our Path Forward Readiness Plan guidelines as up-to-date as possible by following local and national mandates, and we're excited to already see visitors safely enjoying the Island."

The Path Forward Readiness Plan, developed in cooperation with the state Department of Health and Environmental Control, includes best-practice protocols designed to help reduce the risk of virus transmission and safeguard the health of Hilton Head’s community, workforce and visitors.

The destination’s key tourism entities, including hotels, vacation homes and villas, retail shops, eating establishments, cultural centers and area attractions are going to great lengths to ensure that both residents and visitors feel safe while interacting anywhere on the Island.

As part of the program, the Hilton Head Island-Bluffton Chamber of Commerce provides local businesses and organizations with sector-specific checklists that outline all appropriate protection measures, which must be implemented to continue operating in a COVID-19-aware environment, and invites them to sign its official ‘Safety First Pledge’.

A few examples of the new steps being taken are:

—Dining – Available restaurant tables are spread out at a safe distance of at least eight feet apart, with staff required to wear masks at all times and guests required to wear masks until seated.

—Hotels – Hotel properties will thoroughly clean, sanitize and then place a “seal” on rooms to signal to incoming guests that no one has entered after the disinfection process was completed.

—Homes/Villas – Professional cleaning services will be enhanced to provide a special focus on the disinfection of high-touch areas and surfaces, including door handles, curtain rods, light switches, etc.

—Activities/Attractions – Hand-sanitizer and/or disinfectant wipes will be provided at all retail outlets, gyms, pro shops, attractions and entertainment venues; and visual markers for social-distancing will be placed six feet apart at all check-out areas.

In addition to the new Path Forward Readiness Plan guidelines, the Hilton Head Island-Bluffton Chamber of Commerce has also launched its Mask Up! campaign to support the recently-established law requiring all individuals to wear appropriate face coverings while inside commercial business establishments.

For more information, visit hiltonheadisland.org.