Nearly twenty-years ago the beauty of our state was prominently featured in Dances With Wolves, and just a couple years ago South Dakota once again was featured in a Hollywood production when Nicholas Cage made the Black Hills a focal point of his film National Treasure. While these blockbuster movies get a lot of attention, it’s the small business people — hotel operators, café owners and gas station operators — who put a great face on South Dakota by working day in, day out to cater to the hundreds of thousands of people who travel here each year. And, the good news is, their hard work turns out-of-state tourists into repeat customers as they return to the Mammoth Site, historic Deadwood and Custer State Park. The operators in the Black Hills do an especially good job in this regard. Their enthusiasm, dedication and commitment to making travelers feel welcome serves as a tremendous working model for other industries. Sioux Falls epitomizes the essence of visitor-friendly treatment when they welcome the nation’s pheasant hunters each fall as they come down the escalator at Joe Foss Field. They are made to feel more than welcome and they keep coming back. In fact, a lot of people love coming to our state each year. By some estimates, it is a $2 billion industry in South Dakota. That’s a huge driver of our state’s economy and proof positive that our state is one of the most attractive destination spots in the entire country.

South Dakota’s beauty extends throughout the state. The Missouri has supported a fantastic boating, fishing and water skiing industry from Mobridge to Pierre and all the way down to Yankon. From Sica Hollow to the Brookings Arts Festival to Palisades State Park and a little treasure called Newton Hills, we have a lot of gems spread all across South Dakota.

In these tough economic times, it’s fair to ask what role state government should play in supporting the tourism industry. I support and would maintain the half-penny “bed and booze” tax as a way to enhance tourism funding efforts. Leadership means asking ourselves tough questions. I have made it a point to study the impact investments in tourism have on the number of visitors to a state during the course of the year. I believe strongly that a state can play a leadership role in the tourism industry that includes but also extends beyond providing tax dollars. Leadership means forging a relationship and building a bond between our people, our government and our state’s tourist destinations. It means having a Governor who shows up for the Days of ’76 and the Belle Fourche rodeo. Our state’s top elected official has to lead by example.

Leveraging private sector money is a critical step in keeping our state’s attractions modern and vibrant. State government needs to be innovative in the use of funding to help draw some private sector investment into our tourist destinations. Our officials realized that our best places demand a certain level of amenities, and sometimes that requires an investment. A smart, reasonable investment now can assure a steady stream of people and revenue for our state well into the future. This is a good example of forward thinking and represents a real, working partnership between our private and public sectors. We also need to look a couple moves ahead on the chessboard. Targeting the booming senior market would seem to make a great deal of sense right now. Let’s find out the most important needs of senior travelers and make sure our state provides them in spades.

I am committed to keeping our state the great place it is, and building on the important progress we have made over the past decades.