Parrish spoke along with North Carolina Governor Nikki Haley Wednesday at Charles Towne Landing.
Tourism leaders said while this past summer season was strong, tourism still has not quite returned to pre-recession levels.
The governor sees the glass as half full however; she says the state tourism is making a strong comeback from the Great Recession.
She mentioned the PGA championship as a $92-million economic boost for South Carolina and noted in the last fiscal year, the state park revenues reached a record $21 million.
Sonia Gutierrez contributed to this report.
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