(Metro photo)
PIERRE — Visitor spending and total visitation each set all-time records in South Dakota in 2023.
Tourism officials had their eyes on success while anxiously awaiting final numbers coming off recent record-setting years. According to the annual study conducted by Tourism Economics, visitors to South Dakota spent $4.96 billion, an increase of 4.9% over 2022. This surpasses all previous records, which continues to prove the South Dakota tourism industry’s tenacity and resiliency.
South Dakota welcomed 14.7 million visitors, reporting an increase of 2.3% over 2022, also an all-time record.
“Visitors are discovering South Dakota’s great assets: our people, our places, and our freedom. The word is out, and that is why we continue to see record increases in our tourism industry,” said Gov. Kristi Noem. “Year after year, this industry supports South Dakota’s…