A newly released analysis of visitor spending in every county in South Dakota in 2023 shows a 21% increase from 2019– pre-pandemic– and a 4.9% increase from 2022 numbers.
Travel South Dakota Deputy Secretary Wanda Goodman says the county level data is a followup to the analysis of the state as a whole that they release in January.
Goodman says the Missouri River region led all regions in growth compared to 2019 spending levels, with visitor spending growing by 24%, exceeding the prior year’s visitor spending by $11.2 million.
Hughes County experienced the most visitor spending activity in the Missouri River region, reaching $97 million and making up 25% of the region’s total.
Minnehaha County and Pennington County make up the largest share of visitor spending in South Dakota, which Goodman says has led to impressive annual spending in their respective regions.
Visitor spending in South Dakota reached a record high of $4.96 billion in 2023– a 4.9% increase over 2022. Goodman says Travel South Dakota wants to build on that momentum in 2024.
In 2023, the tourism industry supported 57,835 jobs in South Dakota, which generated $2.2 billion in income for those families and $384 million in state and local tax revenue.
To see the full 2023 Tourism Economics report or the county analysis report, visit SDVisit.com.
WRITTEN VERSION:
A recent detailed analysis of visitor spending in every county in South Dakota shows that visitor spending is 21% higher than pre-pandemic levels (2019) and 4.9% higher than 2022 numbers.
Minnehaha County (29.3%) and Pennington County (19.3%) make up the largest share of visitor spending in South Dakota. Both the Southeast and Black Hills and Badlands regions are nearing $2 billion in visitor spending annually, with each exceeding $1.9 billion in 2023.
“People visit South Dakota from all over to enjoy our Freedom, experience the beauty of our open prairies, explore our parks, fish our waters, hunt our fields, and stand in awe at our monuments,” said Governor Kristi Noem. “Tourism is our second largest industry. And when tourism thrives, it helps our communities, businesses, and families succeed and flourish.”
The Black Hills and Badlands region experienced the strongest year-over-year visitor spending growth, exceeding 2022 visitor spending levels by 5.8%, an increase of more than $104 million. Custer, Lawrence, Haakon, and Jackson counties all exceeded 10% growth for the year.
The Southeast region also experienced strong visitor spending growth with a 5.2% increase, exceeding 2022 levels by nearly $100 million.
The Glacial Lakes and Prairies region grew visitor spending by 2.9% to reach just under $700 million and increasing over the prior year by almost $20 million. Brown County made up 29% of the spending for this region at almost $200 million.
The Missouri River region led all regions in growth compared to 2019 spending levels, with visitor spending growing by 24%. The region also experienced a 3% increase when compared to 2022, exceeding the prior year’s visitor spending by $11.2 million. Hughes County experienced the most visitor spending activity in the region, reaching $97 million and making up 25% of the region’s total.
In 2023, visitor spending in South Dakota reached a record high of $4.96 billion, a 4.9% increase over 2022.
“Our industry has so much to be proud of,” said Hagen. “This industry supported more than 57,000 jobs and provided 2.2 billion dollars in household income to South Dakota families. These visitors and their dollars support diners, marinas, hotels and attractions in communities large and small in South Dakota.”
To view the full Tourism Economics County and Region Level Impact Report, visit SDVisit.com.
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