Hospitality industry expected to score big with start of Credit One Charleston Open

DANIEL ISLAND, S.C. (WCBD) – The wait for the 2024 Credit One Charleston Open is almost over!

Starting on Saturday, and continuing for eight more days, fans from all over will be on Daniel Island for the largest women’s-only tennis tournament in North America.

“I think people will be really, again, really surprised when they walk through the gates and see how much things have changed. From the beauty of the site to the activities on the site, more opportunities for shade, more opportunities to engage outside the world class tennis,” said Bob Moran, the Tournament Director for the Credit One Charleston Open.

Most of the action will be centered around the Credit One Stadium grounds, but the local hospitality industry altogether is likely to score big over the next few days.

“If you go to Daniel Island, you see the impact with the numbers of people there. So, restaurant sales, hotels, shopping, all of that come into play and it’s certainly concentrated in and around Daniel Island,” explained Doug Warner, the Executive Vice President of Explore Charleston. “So, it’s a great thing for the City of Charleston and all of the rest of the surrounding area because it is that impactful.”

Warner told News 2 there has been a 21% growth in tournament sponsorships since 2022 and a 30% growth in sponsor revenue.

“It’s an opportunity for a small business to get out here and really see a lot of people. You know, we’ll put across about 3,500 pizzas throughout the tournament and so that’s a lot of people to see,” said John Geng, the co-owner of Orlando’s Pizza.

This is the third year Orlando’s Pizza will be on site, serving up their cheese, pepperoni, and margherita pies to the spectators and players. Orlando’s Daniel Island location is not far from the stadium and has seen great turnout during the tournament in the past.

“People that are on the island that break away from the event, they’ll come down and have lunch and dinner down there throughout the week, which is wonderful for us. And we get to see a lot of people from out of town and a lot of locals as well,” Geng said. Opening weekend is also Family Weekend at the tournament.

According to the Credit One Charleston Open website, admission is free for kids 16 and under and adult tickets are $10.