http://www.yankton.net/articles/2012/07/19/community/doc50077ce51fe2c332703400.txt

Tourism Group Looks To Reach Out

During Wednesday’s board meeting of the Southeast South Dakota Tourism Association in Yankton, Cathy Buchheim of the Sioux Falls Convention and Visitors Bureau discusses some of the projects her organization is undertaking.(Kelly Hertz/P&D)

By Andrew Atwal
andrew.atwal@yankton.net

The Southeast South Dakota Tourism Association held its regular board meeting on Wednesday, during which board members discussed new ways in reaching potential visitors to the area.

The agenda for the meeting included financial and marketing updates, an update on a travel media showcase slated for later this summer in Sioux Falls and an update on Blood Run Park near Sioux Falls.

Board members spoke highly of the fact that the association came out of last year in the black, and should be a similar projection for this year.

“We received an increase in our contract funding,” said Jacquie Fuks, executive director for the Southeast South Dakota Tourism Association. “Anything is better than going backwards.”

Fuks also gave an update on the new tourism website.

“There are still a few issues with the website that we need to work out,” she said. “However, people are staying on the website longer, which is one of the goals we had.”

She added that the tourism magazines and brochures that are on the new website function much better than they had before and noted that the new events calendar has been a big draw for people visiting the site.

“The website is still a work in progress,” said Cathy Buchheim of the Sioux Falls Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Board members also spoke at length of the successes they have had in marketing this year.

“The number one state that people are requesting information about the area come from Ohio,” Fuks said. “This is still very surprising to us.”

The travel media showcase in Sioux Falls will allow tourism representatives from around the region to spotlight the area to a group of journalists and exhibitors. So far 65 journalists and 50 exhibitors are registered for the showcase.

Buchheim, who is heading up the showcase from the tourism association, said this year they will try a “clips for cash” initiative. This will be aimed at journalists who decide to write about the area getting a reward for turning in their articles to the association. The reward would be paid at the 2013 showcase.

“Fan tours in the area continue to become more valuable for businesses,” Buchheim said. “We are excited for the showcase, and it should be good for the area.”

The board also considered its rates for members to join the association. Rates are currently $210 per year for association members. However, the board is considering changing those rates and having a different rate for out-of-state members.

“We need to make sure our membership rates are in line with other regions in the area,” Buchheim said.

Fuks added the need to continue to tell member businesses about all the benefits they get for their membership fee, including space on the tourism website.

“What it comes down to is paying a big fee to get a lot of stuff, or paying a small fee and having to pay extra money to get more benefits,” said Jeff Van Meeteren, the regional park supervisor for the South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks (GFP).

The board also discussed tourism numbers in the region this year.

“We are seeing lots of positive numbers for tourism in the area so far,” Fuks said.

Board members added that visitor inquiries, car counts at visitors centers and guide requests are all up from where they have been in previous years. State park numbers are also up about 20 percent this year from last year.

Van Meeteren also gave an update on the Blood Run Nature Area. He noted that the GFP added an additional 60 acres to the park, bringing the total area to nearly 600 acres. The GFP also plans on adding another area of land that would serve as an entrance to the entire park. If all goes according to plan, Blood Run could become the newest South Dakota state park in 40 years.

The next board meeting is scheduled for Sept. 19 in Renner.

You can follow Andrew Atwal on Twitter at twitter.com/andrewatwal