Wildlife Expo kicks off spring tourism in S.C.

CHARLESTON, S.C. -- A South Carolina coastal city goes wild as the Southeastern Wildlife Exposition kicks off the state's spring tourism season.

The three-day expo of everything from wildlife art to cooking demonstrations and retriever competitions opens in Charleston on Friday and continues through Valentine's Day.

Each season, as many as 40,000 people descend on Charleston for the expo held in different venues around the city.

It's also considered the start of the spring tourism season. Spring and fall are the busiest tourism seasons in Charleston.

Tourism, centered on the coast, is a $16 billion industry in South Carolina.