eFYI for December 2008 South Dakota Office of Tourism

eFYI - Featuring Your Industry - December 2008

Multi-Media Press Release Co-op Opportunity
The Media and Public Relations team will announce a new public relations fee-based cooperative opportunity at the upcoming Governor’s Conference on Tourism. The co-op will include a multi-media press release distributed to a customized media list, as well as some follow-up analytics to gauge the success of the release. Watch your mailboxes following the conference, as there will be a mailer sent out to explain the program in more detail.

Media and Public Relations
For more information, contact
Wanda Goodman
at
Wanda.Goodman@state.sd.us
or
(605) 773-3301

Information Center Brochure Program
If you’d like to place your brochures in one or more of the state’s Interstate Information Centers, remember that approval of the brochures must take place by the end of May. Please send a copy of your brochure to Tasha Bothun at the Office of Tourism, 711 E. Wells Ave., Pierre, SD 57501.

Visitor and Industry Relations
For more information, contact
Natasha Bothun
at
Natasha.Bothun@state.sd.us
or
(605) 773-3301

Free Wage and Labor Seminar
A free seminar on wage and labor issues will be held Tuesday, January 20, from 1:30-3:30 p.m. at the Ramkota RiverCentre in Pierre. The seminar will be presented by David King of the U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division. This offering will be held in conjunction with the South Dakota Innkeepers Association Annual Meeting, and the Governor’s Conference on Tourism. For more information, or to register, call the SD Innkeepers Association at 605-224-1330.

For more information, contact
South Dakota
Innkeepers Association
at
www.sdinnkeepers.com
or
(605) 224-1330

International Trade Shows
Maureen Droz recently attended World Travel Market, Visit USA Showcase in Italy, and a Benelux mission. If you are interested in receiving the international lead lists from these shows to target tour operators and journalists, please contact Maureen.

Trade Sales and Marketing
For more information, contact
Maureen Droz
at
Maureen.Droz@state.sd.us
or
(605) 773-3301

RMI Roundup
Mark your calendars for the Rocky Mountain International Roundup of international tour operators to be held in Boise, ID, April 1-3, 2009. You will have the opportunity to meet with tour operators in an appointment format. For more information, visit http://www.rockymtnintl.com/roundup.htm or contact Maureen.

Trade Sales and Marketing
For more information, contact
Maureen Droz
at
Maureen.Droz@state.sd.us
or
(605) 773-3301

Important Reminders
Million Dollar Challenge funds still available
The next due date for applications to be reviewed is Jan. 6. Applications are available at http://www.sdvisit.com/programs/million/index.asp.

Tourism Conference - Early Registration Discount
The early registration period ends on Jan. 2. Register today to receive the discounted price of $150 for a full registration. For more information or to register online, go to www.SDVisit.com and click on the tourism conference icon.

At a Glance...

Social and Economic Indicators compiled by The South Dakota Travel Monitoring System show that the Present Situation Index and Consumer Confidence Index are all decreasing when comparing the same time last year. The Vacations Intended Within Six Months Index not shown in the Chart above indicated a 7% decrease over last year in October. While these indicators are really no surprise it does reinforce the fact the the tourism industry faces many challenges in the upcoming months and will need to work together by utilizing cooperative opportunities to continue to show the value and affordability that South Dakota offers.

Research and E-Commerce
For more information, contact
Kirk Hulstein
at
Kirk.Hulstein@state.sd.us
or
(605) 773-3301

South Dakota Office of Tourism

Monthly Progress Report

www.TravelSD.com	Consumer Site
www.SDVisit.com	Travel and Tourism Industry Site
www.MediaSD.com	Press and Media Site
www.FilmSD.com	South Dakota Film Office Site
www.TourSDakota.com	Travel Professionals Site