SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO.com) — The unofficial start of the summer tourism season is Monday, Memorial Day.
South Dakota Tourism Secretary Jim Hagen says to expect a big summer across the state.
“Things are shaping up to be really, really a solid summer,” Hagen said. “Every survey that you see says, Americans are ready to hit the road. Almost 90% of Americans are saying, ‘I’m going to travel this summer.'”
Hagen says travel to the Black Hills is already at summertime levels.
“In speaking to a lot of the tourism businesses in Deadwood, what they said to me was, ‘Jim, our March and April have been equivalent to what it’s usually like in July and August for us,'” Hagen said. “It’s that busy already with an influx of visitors.”
He said his staff recently played the “license plate game” while in the Black Hills and found a surprising result.
“We saw 47 license plates from other states,” Hagen said. “The only states we did not see were Hawaii, Connecticut and Delaware. So that’ll give you some indication that things are pretty busy.”
Hagen appeared Tuesday on KELO Radio’s It’s Your Business with Bill Zortman. Click here to listen.
