In 2021, visitor spending in South Dakota reached a record high of $4.4 billion– with all counties showing an increase in 2021 over 2020.
A recent analysis, done by Tourism Economics, shows all areas of the state rebounded significantly in 2021. The data indicates a majority of visitor activity took place in Minnehaha, Pennington, Lawrence, Brown and Custer counties, making up 68% of all visitor spending.
Tourism Secretary Jim Hagen says 43 of the state’s 66 counties surpassed pre-pandemic levels of visitor spending. He says the impact these visitors have on communities across our state is significant, supporting diners, marinas, hotels and attractions in communities large and small.
Hagen says tourism supported more than 54,000 jobs and provided $1.8 billion in household income to South Dakota families. He says the counties that experienced the largest year-over-year growth compared to 2020 were:
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Todd (44%)
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Pennington (40%)
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Meade (39%)
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Lawrence (37%)
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Buffalo (36%)
Visitor spending and tax revenue generated in central South Dakota:
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Brule County: $7,345,842
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Buffalo County: $43,770
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Campbell County: $179,438
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Corson County: $16,487
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Dewey County: $853,235
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Gregory County: $4,648,987
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Hughes County: $17,315,124
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Hyde County: $255,760
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Lyman County: $4,445,517
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Potter County: $1,641,380
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Stanley County: $3,488,198
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Sully County: $415,584
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Tripp County: $3,489,877
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Walworth County: $2,984,088
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Ziebach County: $238
To view the full Tourism Economics County and Region Level Impact Report, visit www.SDVisit.com.
Image credit South Dakota Tourism Department.
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