South Dakota tourism didn’t escape the pandemic recession; our reckless self-promotion only made the dip in business less severe than elsewhere:
The state saw about 12.6 million visitors to the state in 2020, a decrease of 13% over 2019, and spending by tourists is estimated at $3.4 billion in 2020, a drop of 18% or about $700 million over the prior year.
…South Dakota ranked third best in domestic bookings in 2020 and fared better than most of the nation, which saw tourism spending fall by 45% during the year [Bart Pfankuch, “After Tough 2020, S.D. Tourism Industry Hopes for Big Bounce Back in 2021,” South Dakota News Watch, 2021.03.18].
Yeah, but in maintaining the relatively high rate of interactions with maskless visitors, we also incurred the eighth-highest per-capita death rate from coronavirus in the country. So yay, us.
The drop was worse in East River, where tourism revolves more around indoor events, than out West, where tourism revolves more around outdoor activities:
The shift to outdoor activities amid the pandemic led 2 million people to visit Custer State Park in 2020, setting a new attendance record. Visits to state parks overall jumped by 31% over 2019 to about 8 million visitors in 2020.
But with a tourism economy based more on conventions, hotel stays and large music and entertainment events that did not allow for social distancing, the Sioux Falls tourism industry saw a 40% decline in spending in the local market in 2020 over 2019, compared with only a 10% decline in spending in the Black Hills & Badlands region [Pfankuch, 2021.03.18].
The correlations aren’t perfect: East River and West River both got hit with coronavirus badly, despite differences in tourism numbers. But I got coronavirus in November, along with a bunch of my neighbors amidst the statewide surge… and amidst hunting season, when we were graced with visits from all those out-of-state pheasant-seekers.
I’m sure the Governor is glad we didn’t lose as much money on tourism as other states did. But we wouldn’t have lost as many South Dakotans if we had told everyone to stay home for the summer and the fall.
I thought somewhere in the bible it said money was the “root of all evil”. I suppose the exception is if you are a christian.
The bible does not say “money is the root of all evil”.
The bible says “the love of money is the root of all evil”.
First Timothy chapter 6 verse 10.
Don’t have a bible, thanks for looking it up. You made it worse yet.
Matthew 19:24
It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kindom of God!
I believe years ago that I heard an economist say that a dollar spent will turn over seven times in the economy.
South Dakota sales tax is 4.5% plus local sales tax. It may average out to about 6%.
That would mean for every dollar spent 6 X 7 = .42 cents of that dollar would be returned to the State of South Dakota in some form of Taxes.
South Dakota received 1.3 Billion dollars in Stimulus money. I would try to figure the about out but it makes my head hurt to see such large numbers that Kristy won’t acknowledge, she did it on her own.
I would bet that a few of the dollars spent at Sturgis and tourisms came from the federal stimulus money too.
Maybe Kristy did not account for all our of states good economy.
If Kristi Noem were as meticulous in her Bible reading as Edwin, we wouldn’t be putting tourism business profits about public health and human lives.