See South Dakota Week
The Media & Public Relations team, along with Director Melissa Bump, traveled across South Dakota during See South Dakota Week, May 8-16, talking to media about the importance of the visitor industry to the state's economy, and encouraging South Dakotans to get out and explore their community and their state. Thank you to those who set up the interviews for us and for helping us salute the visitor and the visitor industry!

Media and Public Relations
For more information, contact
Wanda Goodman
at
Wanda.Goodman@state.sd.us
or
605-773-3301

Spring Hospitality Training
Communities across South Dakota are still hosting their spring hospitality training sessions. The remaining sessions are:

May 26 – Fort Sisseton Historic State Park and Miller
May 27 – Fort Sisseton Historic State Park
June 9 – Chamberlain-Oacoma
June 14 – Keystone

Visitor and Industry Relations
For more information, contact
Eileen Bertsch
at
Eileen.Bertsch@state.sd.us
or
605-773-3301

Travel South Dakota Day at the 2010 State Fair
Friday, Sept. 3, is Travel South Dakota Day at the State Fair. The Office of Tourism has partnered with the State Fair to have all-day access to a sponsor tent located across from the Freedom Stage. The day will be promoted through various methods.

South Dakota Tourism would like to partner with 25 visitor industry members to celebrate Travel South Dakota Day:

• Each partner will have their own space (size is 8x10) to set up a booth or display – the State Fair will provide a skirted table and chairs
• Set up by 9 a.m. and tear down at 6 p.m.
• Open to all visitor industry organizations and businesses
• Open to first 25 partners
• $100 per partner

Partners will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis, based on when payment is received – no verbal commitments.
Deadline is July 1.

Visitor and Industry Relations
For more information, contact
Nicole Soukup
at
Nicole.Soukup@state.sd.us
or
605-773-3301

Digital Revolution
The Digital Revolution program accepts partners year-round for a one-time fee of $250. Additional program information and registration details can be found at www.SDVisit.com.

Registration forms may be completed online, faxed or mailed. Payments may be submitted online or mailed. Your registration is not considered complete until both the form and payment are received by the Office of Tourism.

Visitor and Industry Relations
For more information, contact
Brad Lemmel
at
Bradley.Lemmel@state.sd.us
or
605-773-3301

Spring Trade Show Leads
Trade show leads from spring shows are available. These leads include domestic and international tour operators, group leaders and journalists that are interested in South Dakota and the region. Please contact the Trade Sales and Marketing team if you are not currently on our email list to receive these leads.

Trade Sales and Marketing
For more information, contact
Maureen Droz
at
Maureen.Droz@state.sd.us
or
605-773-3301

April 2010 Travel Indicators
Recent travel indicators for South Dakota have been updated for April 2010. Web traffic was up approximately 13 percent and state park attendance increased 11.6 percent in April 2010 when compared to April 2009. For further information, please visit the Travel Indicators page.

Research and E-Commerce
For more information, contact
Ashley Worth
at
Ashley.Worth@state.sd.us
or
605-773-3301

2010 Guide to Archaeology & Paleontology
The updated "Guide to Archaeology & Paleontology" is now available in a downloadable and printable PDF on www.TravelSD.com. Contact Thad Friedeman or Eileen Bertsch for more information at thad.friedeman@state.sd.us or eileen.bertsch@state.sd.us

New Book Released by SD State Historical Society
Tourists in the Black Hills are a common sight, but 100 years ago they were few and far between. A new book just released by the South Dakota State Historical Society Press describes how the region became a magnet for visitors.

“A Marvelous Hundred Square Miles: Black Hills Tourism, 1880-1941,” by Suzanne Barta Julin, is a fast-paced, thoughtful and informative book that explains how government and private groups worked to make the Black Hills an important destination. The efforts included pamphlets published to entice travelers to go to the Hills, from which the title of Julin’s book originated.

South Dakota
State Historical Society
For more information, contact
Jeff Mammenga
at
Jeff.Mammenga@state.sd.us
or
605-773-3458

New Lowe Collection in Cultural Heritage Center
One of the latest donations to the collection of the South Dakota State Historical Society-Archives is a scrapbook of photographs documenting a Nebraska woman’s 1920s vacations in the Black Hills of South Dakota.

Alice Jesse Lowe of Alliance, Neb., took vacation images while traveling through the Black Hills in the summers 1926 and 1927. She collected more than 200 of her photos and placed them in a leather-bound photo album.

South Dakota
State Historical Society
For more information, contact
Jeff Mammenga
at
Jeff.Mammenga@state.sd.us
or
605-773-3458

Important Reminders
Peak 2010 Vacation Packages - FREE LISTING
Package listings on www.TravelSD.com are now free of charge, so send us your packages as soon as they’re developed. For more information, contact Brad Lemmel at bradley.lemmel@state.sd.us.

2010 Great Events
Black Hills Fat Tire Festival, Rapid City – May 28-31
Ipswich Trail Days, Ipswich – June 11-13
South Dakota Outdoor Expo, Huron – June 12-13
River City Racin’, Chamberlain/Oacoma – June 19-20

What Our Visitors Are Saying...
An email sent to the Office of Tourism:

"I visited your beautiful State awhile back and fell in love with its history. It has a rugged peacefulness that cries out come on back."

- Larry, Amherst, Nova Scotia, Canada