For Other Bike Week Information and Bike Supporters, visit: www.GrandStrandRallies.com

Myrtle Beach Bike Week; May 8 - 17, 2009

BIKE WEEK 2009 PHOTOS - VIEW HERE

Businesses Devastated Under City's Stance on Bikers
By Staff Writer - Published May 18, 2009.
With the 2009 Harley Rally over, Myrtle Beach Mayor, John Rhodes says that the city's ordinances did exactly what they were designed to do. But while the Mayor celebrates, many business owners along the Grand Strand are in an uproar.
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City Loses Even if Victory is Claimed
By Staff Writer - Published May 16, 2009.
The city of Myrtle Beach has yet to make a determination if the bike ordinances it passed earlier this year have been a success or not to curb bikers from coming to Myrtle Beach. However, after this weekend, if the city does still claim victory, the city still loses.
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As Bike Week Looms Supporters Dig In
By Matt Reid - Published May 6, 2009.
For many years, Myrtle Beach has become a staple in the vacation plans for many people around the world. With its 14.6 million annual visitors, its estimated 2,000 restaurants and 460 hotels, it’s obvious that the main driving force behind the success of the Grand Strand is its tourist operations.
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Businesses Take Stand to Support Bikers

With May coming ever closer, the bike festival controversy is getting hotter. Recently, the city of Myrtle Beach passed several new laws and ordinances in order to curb the masses of Bike Week patrons from coming to the beach in the hopes of doing away with both the Harley Davidson and Atlantic Beach Bike Rallies.

While we're told that the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce says the number of businesses for and against is about 50/50, Discover Myrtle Beach has had a hard time finding businesses that are in favor of the city's plan to eliminate bikers.

So we sent out a request to businesses (mostly accommodations) and asked if they are willing to acknowledge if they support bikers. Our results were staggering.

Of all responses, 99% of Hotels/Motels & other Businesses responded in favor of the bikers, including the City of North Myrtle Beach and the North Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce. Just 1% was in favor of being "family friendly 52 weeks out of the year instead of just 50 weeks."

It is worth mentioning that not all businesses we contacted responded to our question, so no conclusion can be made toward any business not appearing on our list.

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Some responses we received made their case to tell bikers about their support:

"We would definitely like for people to know that we are a biker friendly hotel! We offer free onsite bike and trailer parking and we also set up a bike wash station to keep those HOGS looking good."
- Stephanie White, Sales Coordinator, Fairfield Inn Broadway at the Beach.

"Yes!!! We definitely welcome bikers at our properties."
- Hope Robbins, Marketing Director, Booe Realty

"We definitely are biker friendly and support all tourism, regardless of how they arrive to our "TOURIST CITY".
- Marta D'Arcangelis, Comedy Cabana

"Express Watersports in Murrells Inlet is biker friendly as I would say the district as a whole."
- Express Watersports

"We support the bike weeks and would love the bikers to stop by."
Matt Harper, Sales Manager, Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville

In a mass email to visitors by the North Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce Convention & Visitors Bureau, the message was clear stating:

"Bikers welcome in North Myrtle Beach"

The City of North Myrtle Beach and the North Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce Convention & Visitors Bureau want you to know - We Welcome All Visitors to Our City!

Recently there has been controversy on the bike rallies held in the Myrtle Beach area. The city of Myrtle Beach has recently passed laws to curtail the effects of the rallies. We want YOU to know, everyone is welcome in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina! In actuality the majority of bike week events do not even take place in the city limits of Myrtle Beach. Bike vendors and special events are spread along the Grand Strand from Little River all the way to Murrells Inlet. North Myrtle Beach properties have rooms available and are awaiting you to book your accommodations for the upcoming rally...

The following is a list of all businesses who responded in favor of bikers: