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TO EXPRESS THE THANKS OF THE SOUTH CAROLINA SENATE FOR CARNIVAL CRUISE LINES' CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE ECONOMIC WELL-BEING OF SOUTH CAROLINA AND FOR THE COMPANY'S COMMITMENT TO OPERATING IN A BALANCED MANNER THAT IS SENSITIVE TO THE ENVIRONMENT.
Whereas, Carnival Cruise Lines is one of the largest vacation companies and is the most popular cruise line in the world. The company's stated mission is "to deliver exceptional vacation experiences... that cater to a variety of different lifestyles and budgets, all at an outstanding value unrivaled on land or at sea"; and
Whereas, Charleston is consistently ranked as one of the top ten tourism destinations in the world by numerous publications and the city has welcomed visitors for more than three hundred years; and
Whereas, visitors enjoy the area's golf courses, nationally-ranked tennis facilities, picturesque beaches, monumental battleships, and carefully preserved architecture. The city is a museum in and of itself, a treasure that should be shared, not sheltered; and
Whereas, the cruise business is a maritime business, and the South Carolina Ports Authority is charged by law with developing and improving the state's harbors and seaports and increasing waterborne commerce generally; and
Whereas, the cruise business generated $37 million for South Carolina's economy in 2010 and projected to generate 407 jobs in the Tri-County region, paying a total of $16,193,200 in labor income; and
Whereas, a 2010 survey of more than 1,500 embarking passengers showed that nearly one-third of Charleston's cruise passengers are South Carolina residents, more than one-third stayed more than one night in one of more than fifty different hotels across the area, one-half ate in one of more than one hundred different restaurants, and nearly forty percent shopped in resident-oriented retail stores, locally-owned shops, and tourist-oriented stores throughout the area; and
Whereas, South Carolina's cruise passengers are predominately couples traveling without children and these families have a median annual household income of between $100,000 and $124,999; and
Whereas, when a cruise ship embarks from Charleston, more than two hundred local residents are working directly in support of the operation, including check-in agents, parking attendants, longshoremen and stevedores, security personnel, and others; and
Whereas, the ship also acquires a number of products and services locally, including health care, flowers, water, paper products, ground transportation, financial services, and fuel; and
Whereas, the South Carolina Ports Authority maintains an environmentally responsible port. The authority reports that Carnival Cruise Lines, and all other lines that bring ships to the Charleston port, is a member of Cruise Lines International Association, a cruise industry trade association, which has collectively and voluntarily set strict environmental standards that exceed federal and international law, thereby partnering with the authority in its commitment to operate in a balanced and environmentally sensitive manner; and
Whereas, grateful for Carnival Cruise Lines' investment in the Palmetto State, the Senate takes great pleasure in commending the company for its contributions to South Carolina's economy and for its sensitivity to pertinent environmental issues. Now, therefore,
Be it resolved by the Senate, the House of Representatives concurring:
That the members of the South Carolina Senate, by this resolution, express their thanks for Carnival Cruise Lines' contributions to the economic well-being of South Carolina and for the company's commitment to operating in a balanced manner that is sensitive to the environment.
Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be provided to Carnival Cruise Lines.
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