Out here in the Black Hills, as we’re gearing up for the annual arrival of our economy-dependent tourism season, the hospitality industry is girding for a couple of headwinds.
For one thing, as with tourist tourist destinations all over the country, the local trade is looking at a significant dropoff in visitors from outside the United States.
Considering that, statewide, overall tourism brought in $5 billion in 2024 and supports 58,000 jobs in South Dakota, you can see why people around here are sensitive to the news backdrop created by President Trump’s tariff initiatives, which look like they’ll have a negative effect on foreign tourism.
Goldman Sachs says that in a worst case scenario, loss of foreign visitation will cost the…