July reports for the season have just come in and visitor spending is right on par with 2017. The Municipal Gross Receipts tax (or BBB tax) is holding steady, bringing much needed tax revenue to our communities across the state.

While combined visitation at our state and national parks is experiencing a slight decline this year, many of our private campgrounds and cabin rentals are reporting steady business and we hope that trend held through the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. Statewide, hotel room nights are about dead even with 2017; with the Southeast region experiencing an increase of 2.91%, followed by the Black Hills region being up .65%, the Glacial Lakes region is down 1.02%, and the Missouri River region is down 2.05%.

As we look ahead to the fall season, the US Travel Association’s Leading Travel Index is reporting growth for both business and leisure travel continuing through December, and South Dakota should see similar increases with gas prices under $3 a gallon. The expectation index declined slightly, showing some signs that, while consumers feel good about the current economy, there is some concern about trade wars, tariffs and a slowing ag economy.

Stay tuned for updates in the Travel Insights quarterly email and our new interactive dashboard. In the coming months, the dashboard will be available to our industry members to view at any time on the Research & Reports page on SDVisit.com and it will have real-time updates of the latest travel indicators.

If you have specific questions, please email Kirk Hulstein or call 605-773-3301.