SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — Tourism is big business in South Dakota.
Last year, nearly 15 million visitors spent over $5 billion across the state. Gary and Lori Cocking enjoyed a stop at Falls Park during their recent trip to Sioux Falls.
“It’s gorgeous,” Lori Cocking said.
The Minnesota husband and wife were in in town visiting family.
“It has both a city and a small town feel, it’s easy to get around, people are so nice,” Lori Cocking said.
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From watching waterfalls, to gliding down waterslides, to admiring art, there are all sorts of attractions drawing people to Sioux Falls.
“Foodies. You would be amazed at the people who come here to eat,” said Teri Schmidt with Experience Sioux Falls.
Rougly 70 miles west of Sioux Falls, Mitchell is also welcoming tourists.
The corn palace is a popular stop for visitors.
“We set up all year. This is a big time for us, it’s a big time for the state,” said Dave Sietsema with the Corn Palace.
Johanna Allen with the Mitchell Area Chamber of Commerce says the outlook on the tourism season is positive, although travelers may be watching their wallets a little closer.
“We are expecting good numbers,” Allen said. “I think we’re looking more at that out-of-state regional area, that Minnesota, Nebraska, Iowa because people are wanting to spend less money, they are worried about about the economy and things like that.”
Schmidt says the city may also see a similar trend among travelers.
“We know people want to travel. There’s no doubt about that, but maybe what’s going to happen, if they’re really concerned, they may take a three or four-day vacation instead of a two-week vacation. We don’t know that yet, but we’re already seeing numbers increasing at Falls Park,” Schmidt said.
South Dakota Tourism Secretary Jim Hagen says there is a price-sensitivity among travelers, but South Dakota has several advantages working in its favor.
“One, consumers are saying, ‘I want an affordable destination, and I want a family-friendly destination.’ We have that in spades in South Dakota. They’re saying, ‘I want unique experiences in rural communities and cities.’ That plays to our favor. ‘We want to experience local gems in South Dakota.’ We have tons of those in South Dakota. Another thing they’re saying is, ‘We want to experience the great outdoors.’ Well, welcome to South Dakota. We have that too,” Hagen said.
Hagen says the tourism department is taking steps to bring those travelers to the state.
“We really have changed our message. We have a national message and a national marketing campaign, but we’ve really brought that in regionally because consumers are saying, ‘I want to travel more regionally. I’m not going to travel as far. I want to stay local.’ So we’re really focusing on our regional markets,” Hagen said.
Schmidt says her team is also upping its efforts.
“Not only social media, but visitor guides, we’re trying to get those out everywhere. We’re talking to people. We’ve advertised beyond the United States, but particularly the United States and we’re focused on the markets where we know we’ve had good travel before,” Schmidt said.
“All in all, I’m optimistic that it’s going to be a solid summer,” Hagen said.
And there’s a lot of summer left for visitors to experience what South Dakota has to offer.
Hagen says there has been a drop in Canadian visitors nationwide. Schmidt says data at the Falls Visitor Center also shows a decrease.
