Miriam Atria is celebrating 40 years at the helm of the Capital City/Lake Murray Country Regional Tourism Board.
Since 1983, Miriam has led the growth of the destination marketing organization from its humble beginnings. “I started off with a budget of $40,000 and was the first employee,” Miriam remembers. Today the award-winning organization has grown to a staff of six with a current budget of $2.1 million, 50% of which is spent on marketing the region. In 1998, despite many naysayers, Miriam moved the Lorick Plantation House, a two-story 1840s house, 4 miles from its original location on St. Andrews Road to North Lake Drive. Twenty-five years later, the region’s 1st Visitor’s Center continues to greet visitors from all over the world.
From those early days, Miriam recognized Lake Murray’s potential as a natural resource and the impact it could have on tourism. Taking advantage of those many opportunities, Miriam established Lake Murray as a major player in the Fishing Tournament Industry. In 1998, Miriam’s creativity and determination attracted the most notable tournament trail at the time – FLW. Due to the organization, media coverage, and overall package Miriam put together, Lake Murray would go on to host the Forrest Wood Cup, known as the “Super Bowl of fishing,” an unprecedented three times resulting in more than $95 million in economic impact.
In 2022, Lake Murray hosted the XVI Black Bass World Championship, the first on US soil, and was named “The Best Bass Fishing Lake in the World” by USAngling. The record-breaking event hosted 25 nations, resulting in an overall economic impact of $21.5 million. In the fishing arena alone, CCLMC has invested $2 million to date and has generated an overall economic impact of over $185 million.