Regional Tourism Association Launches Its New Website

The Southeast South Dakota Tourism Association recently unveiled its new website, which could help increase tourism numbers in the region. (Courtesy Photo)

By Andrew Atwal
andrew.atwal@yankton.net

The Southeast South Dakota Tourism Association has recently launched an innovate new website that allows users to find a lot more information that they did not have access to before.

The website, southeastsouthdakota.com, launched last week and is a complete facelift from the old tourism website.

“We’ve been working on the website for about a year,” Jacquie Fuks, director of the Southeast South Dakota Regional Tourism Association, said. “There are whole new functions and a new look to the website.”

She added that the old website needed a makeover, and this site allows staff members to easily handle any changes and updates that may be needed.

One of the features of the site includes a journeys section, which allows users to pick something they’re interested in, and the website will pull up a list of destinations related to that interest.

Examples of journeys on the website include golfing, discovering Bon Homme, various trails and the I-29 cultural corridor, among others.

Fuks added that she believes one of the best features on the new website is the calendar of events and that users can sort the calendar by their interests.

There is a long list of options that visitors can sort the list by, including art, auto shows, holiday events, music, events for children and many others.

Another new feature is an interactive map of the communities in southeastern South Dakota.

“Users can view the map, click on a community and it will take them to a whole page about what is offered there,” she said.

Fuks noted that the new website might help tourism numbers in the region.

“There is a lot more opportunity for visitors to stay on the website longer than they would have with the old site,” she said. “There are all sorts of different categories that we did not have before, which is great.”

She added that package vacation deals are also more accessible on the website, and visitors can easily book a package deal simply by clicking on the appropriate link.

Although the new website allows users to look at a copy of various southeastern South Dakota tourism brochures, Fuks said the website will not replace the paper brochures.

“For the most part, people will still want a physical copy of our information brochures,” she said. “People still come in to request our information to be sent to them.”

The tourism association has been marketing the website to users in various different ways over the past few weeks. They have used social media through Facebook and Twitter to advertise the website, as well as email blasts talking about the new website and its features. The association will also direct people more to the web to get the information that they need.

“The number one thing people have looked at on our website, above all others, is history information and historic things to do and see in the region,” Fuks said.

She added that although there is currently minimal video content on the website, the association is hoping to expand that in the future.

“We are taking little steps with video as we go,” Fuks said.

The tourism association spent about $20,000 on the website, but Fuks said it is money well spent.

“The world has gone to the web, and if you’re any kind of business now, you need a website,” she said. “So far, we’ve also gotten really good feedback on the  website.”

Fuks noted that the department looked at various tourism websites from around the country and took what they liked and disliked from those sites to create southeastsouthdakota.com.

“So far I’m very happy with the website, and it came out well,” Fuks said. “However, websites are never done. You always need to make changes as you go and keep content fresh.”

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