May 08--With the travel season ready to ramp up, the South Dakota Department of Tourism is teaming up with local agencies and business partners to talk about the importance of the industry to the state.

Wanda Goodman, deputy secretary of tourism for the state, said the department is encouraging groups such as the Aberdeen Convention and Visitors Bureau to be active this week in educating the public about how important travel and tourism are to businesses across the state.

Many businesses that benefit from the tourism industry are now training their staffs about how to take care of visitors to the state, Goodman said.

To that end, V.J. Smith, a motivational speaker, author and former director of the South Dakota State University Alumni Association, presented a two-hour session on providing excellent customer service Tuesday morning at the Best Western Ramkota.

Smith stressed the importance of caring. The folks you deal with can easily tell how much you care about your job, family and home, he said.

"We're all judged everyday by how much we care," he said after his talk.

People can make a tremendous impression -- good or bad -- in just two minutes time, Smith said.

"Without the travel and tourism industry in South Dakota, each household would pay nearly $900 more in taxes every year, so there really is a huge economic value that's being brought forth by the tourism industry . . .

--Wanda Goodman, deputy secretary, South Dakota Department of Tourism

Tourism by the numbers

$1.95 billion: The total economic value of the travel industry to SD

$1.37 billion: The direct impact of tourism to industries, such as restaurants, providing goods and services to visitors.

$580 million: The indirect impact of tourism to industries such as food distributors directly providing goods and services to core tourism providers.

No. 2: Tourism is the second-leading industry in the state behind only agriculture.

19 percent: Tourism-related activity generated 19 percent of all state and local tax revenue in 2012.

Sources: IHS Global Insight and Longwoods International

Most popular destinations, activities in northeast SD:

Sica Hallow State Park northwest of Sisseton Photo courtesy of SD Department of Tourism

Hunting and fishing, especially pheasant hunting in the Aberdeen area

Storybook Land and Wylie Park in Aberdeen

Camping at state parks and recreation areas

The Dacotah Prairie Museum in Aberdeen

Fort Sisseton Historic State Park and festival

Source: Wanda Goodman, state deputy secretary of tourism

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