In Pennington County alone, tourists spent $865 million in 2019, according to Julie Jensen, president and CEO of Visit Rapid City. If it weren’t for the tourists, she said, every household in Pennington County would pay $890 more in property taxes annually.
“Tourism is so vital to our success,” Jensen said.
The state sees millions of visitors every year — 14 million in 2019, another record-breaking number — and visitors to the Black Hills have only continued to increase, according to both Hagen and business owners in the region. Jensen said it is difficult to count total numbers of people, but Mount Rushmore attracts three million visitors a season who also visit the Rapid City area.
The tourist season, which typically lasts from Memorial Day to Labor Day, is already shaping up to be busy this year. So far in 2021, Hagen said the state’s tourism website traffic is “through the roof” — up 55% from last year. Additionally, the Department of Tourism’s vacation guide has been downloaded at record numbers, e-newsletter subscriptions are up by 29%, and partner referrals have increased by 40% in 2021.
There’s no shortage of activities for people to explore the Black Hills — hiking, walking, biking, wildlife viewing, bird watching, backpacking, camping, off-roading, hunting, fishing, rock climbing, kayaking and canoeing, and horseback riding, to name a few options.
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