While the travel industry has always been a big part of the state’s economy, 2018 was even more impressive than ever.
Thursday Governor Kristi Noem and Secretary of the Department of Tourism James Hagen announced record growth for tourism.
14.1 million visitors were counted in 2018, and they spent $3.98 billion in the Rushmore State.
That’s a 2.5 percent increase from the year before.
Some other statistics released Thursday:
12.4 million hotel rooms were booked, and 783,000 people flew into the state.
How does all this impact you?
Well, nearly 9-percent of all jobs in South Dakota are sustained by tourism, and without tourism each household in the state would pay an extra $865 a year in taxes.
The Department of Tourism says a new marketing campaign is to thank for the spike in numbers.
For every dollar spent on tourism marketing, they saw $3 in state tax revenue come back.
