Travel Matters
By Governor Kristi Noem
In some states, visitors are rushed, tourists are looked down upon, and out-of-staters are simply ignored. In South Dakota, we do things differently. We pride ourselves on making new friends, and it shows. I often hear how amazed travelers are at the kindness they feel while visiting our state, a place where a handshake and a smile are second nature.
Each May, we designate a week to celebrate the important role tourism plays in South Dakota. The theme of this year’s Travel and Tourism Week is “Travel Matters.” Its name speaks for itself, and its message is one I’ve believed for a long time. As many of you know, for years, my family and I ran a hunting lodge and a restaurant. I have so many good memories of leading hunts, eating breakfast with guests, and showing folks the joy of the outdoors.
Today as governor, I don’t have the chance to lead hunts as often as I once did (or as often as I would like!), but I do get to celebrate tourism with people across the globe. It’s amazing to see the excitement of folks as they realize the opportunities and adventures that await them in South Dakota.
Tourism is a foundational part of our state’s culture, and it’s also the second largest driver for our economy. In 2018, our tourism industry supported 54,723 jobs. If you do the math, that means about one in every 10 South Dakotans is employed by the tourism industry. These are real jobs that make it possible for people to feed their families, buy their kids basketball shoes, or tuck away money for a new home. In recent years, these jobs have seen even heavier traffic – a good sign for business. In 2018, 14.1 million tourists came to check out our state and contributed $2.66 billion to our economy, an increase of 2.5 percent from the previous year.
While the first iconic places and events people might think of are Mount Rushmore National Memorial, Crazy Horse, or the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, it’s not just the Black Hills that attract visitors and benefit our economy. Across the state—from Lemmon to Aberdeen and Mitchell to Sioux Falls—visitors continue to make memories at area fairs, local attractions, and delicious restaurants. They all make for an amazing South Dakota visit. That’s why we’ve enjoyed an increase in tourism interest and revenue for many years.
I hope you understand that these aren’t just numbers. As one of only a few states with no state income tax, tourism is a large contributor to keeping taxes low and maintaining self-sufficiency. Last year, tourism activity generated $298 million in state and local taxes, accounting for 11 percent of our sales tax collections. Maybe most impressively, each household in South Dakota would pay $865 more in taxes were it not for the contributions of tourism.
These figures point to one thing: travel matters in South Dakota.
With the summer months almost here, I hope you’ll take some time to recognize the importance of tourism. Plan an in-state vacation, go visit one of your favorite South Dakota spots, or just hop in the car and go exploring. There’s always something new to discover in South Dakota, and you can always count on a handshake and a smile to be waiting when you arrive.
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Governor Noem is exactly right! We South Dakotas “pride ourselves on making new friends, and it shows. I often hear how amazed travelers are at the kindness they feel while visiting our state, a place where a handshake and a smile are second nature.”
Couldn’t agree more. We first visited S.D. as tourists. We left awestruck by the warm, friendly welcome we’d received. Not long after, we decided to relocate & live here permanently.
Kristi wrote: “With the summer months almost here, I hope you’ll take time to recognize the importance of tourism. Plan an in-state vacation, go visit one of your favorite South Dakota spots, or just hop in the car and go exploring.”
Great suggestion! Next month, I’ll pack up the truck & take my family on a fun, in-state road trip, exploring many South Dakota attractions.
Would you agree that much of the kindness stems from our Judeo-Christian founding?
I do find it interesting that if you have a certain number on your license plate and visit another number, it’s not always the warm, friendly welcome you say it is.
I don’t understand all you’re asking. Nevertheless, I agree that Christians and Jews tend to be warm, welcoming, friendly people. At least that’s been my experience. I find South Dakotans friendlier, more down-to-earth, & less self-aggrandizing than some American neighbors on the US coasts and some British cousins in London. The rural/ urban divide may be a factor, but that doesn’t *always* apply. Tokyo is a huge megapolis, for example, yet I found the Japanese exceptionally courteous hosts. Their gracious conduct speaks highly for Shinto, Taoists, and Buddhists (although many are Christian). Just my 2 cents. Your mileage may vary.
You need to stop with the Judeo-Christian propaganda, it is anti-Christian. This link is to an article written by a rabbi and will give you more insight as to why you are wrong and being antisemitic when you push this nonsense.
https://forward.com/opinion/334403/dear-ted-cruz-quit-using-judeo-christian-values-to-exploit-my-faith/
I can’t tell if you hate Jews, Christians, South Dakotans, or all of the above. To be honest, I don’t much care. If you’re hostile & bigoted toward any of those folks, I’m not interested in hearing your “theories.”
I do support free public expression, as protected by our Constitution. Each U.S. Citizen has the right to speak. Brave soldiers bled & died to guarantee that right. We all benefit from the open exchange of ideas, and I oppose censorship. Nevertheless, I’m going to pull the ripcord & terminate this *particular* discussion. Feel free to claim victory; I won’t cyber stalk you. Peace & Love 😊
I can’t tell if you’ve been brainwashed with your Judeo-Christian push or if you’re just ignorant. To be honest, I don’t much care. Last time I questioned you, you wouldn’t elaborate. Why, you are not able to defend your belief?
It’s not easy to hear you’ve been pushing anti-Christian propaganda or are being antisemitic. It isn’t me who said this, it’s a Jewish rabbi. Deflect to more nonsense of “free public expression” because you’re confused on how to handle what you’ve just been exposed to. You’ve been told all your life Judeo-Christian and it’s a lie. It’s difficult to wrap your mind around, I get it.
I’m not looking to “claim victory”, just trying to help a friend of education get to the truth.
Kristi should watch CBS Sunday Morning today and learn what a big mistake she made with hemp.
Wasn’t the WY governor extremely excited she vetoed the bill?
“Tell her I hope she vetoes it, because that would be good for Wyoming”
Yep. It’s at the Iowa governors desk as well.
So we’ve got the Indians, farmers and many hunters disappointed with Noem’s recent decisions. Hopefully she won’t step on too many other toes and is able to turn things around.
Do you notice how often she uses the word “I” in her weekly columns and press releases. Is it all about her or all about South Dakotans? I’m not so sure anymore.
Can’t say so much of this for the Sioux Falls area. Cities are always repulsive and repellant no matter what state it’s in. Same can be said for Rapid these days. Our small towns are the heart of South Dakota.
O rly?
https://www.kdlt.com/2019/04/11/tourism-spending-continues-to-increase-in-south-dakota/
“The detailed analysis from Tourism Economics, an Oxford Economics company, indicates a majority of visitor activity took place in Minnehaha, Pennington, Lawrence, Brown and Custer counties, making up 67% of all visitor spending in South Dakota.”
“South Dakota’s southeast region led the state in growth, increasing 3.6% over 2017.”