8/14/2024
PIERRE, S.D. – Travel South Dakota’s “Forever 605” campaign was honored as the nation’s best state tourism stewardship campaign, recognized by the U.S. Travel Association and industry peers at the annual ESTO (Educational Seminar for Tourism Organizations) conference in Columbus, Ohio.
Named after South Dakota’s single area code, a local point of pride, Forever 605 is a destination stewardship program providing simple, yet impactful, ways to enjoy South Dakota respectfully.
“Forever 605 is an initiative we developed to spread the message of enjoying South Dakota responsibly for residents and visitors alike, and to ensure our state’s pristine beauty is maintained for generations to come,” said James Hagen, Secretary of Travel South Dakota. “Instead of creating a campaign centered around simply ‘leaving a place better than you found it,’ Forever 605 aims to build a sense of pride around respecting our destination and make it something that everyone wants to be a part of.”
Components of the Forever 605 campaign include building awareness of lesser-known visitor experiences and locations, promoting South Dakota as a year-round destination, educating residents and visitors on the importance of responsible travel practices, supporting local businesses, preserving cultural heritage, and proactively sharing the positive contributions of tourism to South Dakota’s way of life and economy.
More than 3,000 people have signed the Forever 605 pledge, and local communities have gotten on board with branding and encouraging action locally. The campaign was launched in earnest on June 5 (6/05/2024) and has already generated more than 71,000 hotel bookings and 1,218 flight bookings. It has inspired visitors to visit lesser-known destinations, thereby relieving other destinations from overcrowding. It also has encouraged locals to explore hidden gems and encouraged community engagement.
The Mercury Awards recognize excellence and creative accomplishment in destination marketing from state tourism offices and are open to all U.S. state and territory tourism offices that are members of the U.S. Travel Association.
The South Dakota Department of Tourism is comprised of Travel South Dakota and the South Dakota Arts Council. The Department is led by Secretary James D. Hagen.
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Media Notes:
- A sample Forever 605 “mountain goat love note” commercial promoting the initiative can be found here. Credit to Travel South Dakota.
- Forever 605 logo can be downloaded here.
CONTACT
Katlyn Svendsen, Global Public Relations & Content Services Senior Director
Travel South Dakota
Email: [email protected]