Explore Charleston Recognized by Governor with Prestigious Industry Award

Press Release

At an award ceremony on Tuesday, Governor Henry McMaster presented one of the industry’s most prestigious awards, the Governor’s Cup, to Explore Charleston. The event was part of the annual Governor’s Conference on Tourism and Travel, held this year at the Kiawah Island Golf Resort.

The award recognizes the Intern Cultural Enrichment Program (ICEP), a first-of-its-kind initiative that connects undergraduate minority students, many from Historically-Black Colleges and Universities, with world-class, paid summer internship opportunities in the local tourism industry.

In addition to their internship, students participate in a ten-week leadership development curriculum that fosters interaction with business and civic leaders and cultivates peer relationships. Weekly topics range from interviewing insights to local history and culture; from business etiquette and networking to personal brand and finance.

“A lot of workforce recruitment programs focus on entry-level positions. If we’re going to tout ourselves as national leaders in travel and hospitality, we have an obligation to develop cultures where people with diverse ideas, backgrounds and perspectives are engaged and valued equally at all levels,” said John LaVerne, Chair of Explore Charleston’s Board of Governors. “We must aspire to be an industry that more accurately represents our community.”

ICEP’s launch in 2021 was the culmination of years of intentional planning and relationship development between industry partners, elected officials, business and civic leaders, and universities in South Carolina and the eastern United States.

To date, 27 students from 13 colleges and universities have completed internships with 10 industry partners.

Industry employers include: Charleston County Aviation Authority,  The Charleston Place, Charlestowne Hotels, Explore Charleston, Hilton – Embassy Suites Charleston Harbor and Embassy Suites Historic District, Hilton Garden Inn Charleston Waterfront / Downtown, Hilton Garden Inn / Homewood Suites – Summerville, Hotel Bennett, Kiawah Island Golf Resort, and Wild Dunes Resort.

Participating schools include: Atlanta Technical College (Atlanta, GA); Benedict College (Columbia, SC), Claflin University (Orangeburg, SC), College of Charleston (Charleston, SC); Johnson and Wales University (Charlotte, NC); Morgan State University (Baltimore, MD); Morris College (Sumter, SC), University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (Pine Bluff, AR), University of the District of Columbia (Washington, D.C.), University of Maryland Eastern Shore (Princess Anne, MD), University of South Carolina (Columbia, SC), Virginia State University (Petersburg, VA), and Voorhees College (Denmark, SC).

There is no cost to the students for participation in ICEP, and Explore Charleston, in partnership with the College of Charleston, covers housing costs.

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