Visit Rapid City continues celebration of National Travel and Tourism Week

RAPID CITY, S.D. — May 3 is named Travel Rally Day, a day throughout National Travel and Tourism Week to highlight the significance of native journey industries. This 12 months’s theme is the longer term of journey.

Joined by neighborhood enterprise leaders and metropolis officers, Visit Rapid City President and CEO Brook Kaufman mapped out her plans for the longer term of journey to the Rapid City and Black Hills area.

Kaufman is taking into consideration the dramatic impact the final two years have had on journey into the state and making use of it to this season and these to come back.

“South Dakota actually did have what the American traveler needs, and they proceed to have it,” Kaufman stated. “So now for us, it’s to say – how can we do this sustainably, how can we do this responsibly, how can we defend these property.”

According to Kaufman, American vacationers search for trip components corresponding to street journeys, wide-open areas and nationwide parks. During the 2021 season alone, over 13 million guests vacationed within the state, contributing greater than $4 billion in income throughout their keep.

Both Rapid City and Pennington County additionally noticed an uptick in guests, as nicely ashundreds of 1000’s of vacationers passing via.

However, this 12 months as worldwide markets open once more, state tourism officers are additionally prepared to succeed in out to international markets as soon as extra.

“We’ve saved that messaging going all through the pandemic. So, we’ve been staying prime of thoughts for these guests that perhaps weren’t capable of journey to South Dakota previously few years,” Global Travel Trade Director for Travel South Dakota, Cole Irwin stated. “But now they know, since borders have reopened, South Dakota’s a terrific vacation spot for them. Especially in the event that they wish to get that wide-open areas, the good outside and historical past that we’ve right here.”

Plans are at present within the works to keep up the state’s sights that maintain bringing folks again – one thing Kaufman takes delight and care in doing.

“It’s a neat place to be on the precipice of saying – how can we set this up for the longer term,” Kaufman stated. “I believe that’s one of our tasks to this place – is how can we be sure that we’re doing our half right now to be sure that it’s what it’s presupposed to be sooner or later.”