Eric Gordon has been on the job for almost a month and is already excited about coming to work every day for the City of Aiken’s Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Department.
He hails from Queens, New York, where his parents introduced him to the sights and sounds of the city, including the art museums, Broadway shows, and the New York Philharmonic. Gordon later formed his own company, Beyond Times Square, because he wanted to show visitors that beyond all the Broadway magic, there was much more to New York. His goal was to show off the real New York and make it a “local” experience.
This is why Jessica Campbell, the Director of Parks, Recreation and Tourism believes he is the perfect fit for the Aiken tourism position.
“He is a world traveler, has extensive experience in the tourism industry and we need to expand our opportunities in Aiken,” Campbell explained.
Gordon was ready for a change and visited friends in Aiken. Like others, he “fell in love” with the city, the county, and the state in general.
“Aiken is authentic,” Gordon said. “It’s the real deal. The parks, the cuisine, the arts, and the equine history all offer great opportunities for visitors.”
Many have discovered those attractions, making tourism in Aiken a pretty big deal, to the tune of more than $154 million in 2020. Like tourism everywhere, those numbers reflect the impact of covid. The prior year, pre-pandemic, tourist dollars were closer to $200 million.
While Aiken doesn’t boast the “one big thing” like the Empire State Building, Gordon is impressed by the people, the downtown area, and the history, which he says work together to make it a great destination. His vision for increasing tourism brings all those elements together.
“Aiken provides a great balance of pride in the community and diverse southern charm,” he said. “We want to build tourism numbers but do it intelligently by getting everyone involved, so that the city and the county can benefit from the economic impact.”
Both he and Campbell believe Aiken can be a destination when visitors travel anywhere in South Carolina.
New York, New York is referred to as the city so nice they named it twice, but Aiken has earned the unofficial title of “A place like no other.” We may be poised to find out what the rest of the country has to say when they come to visit.
Editor’s Note:
Mitzi Oxford is a veteran broadcaster and features writer who also worked at the same television station in Columbus, Georgia as Augusta’s Brad Means!
If you have a South Carolina story idea for Mitzi, please email her at mitzioxfordcreative@gmail.com.
