FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 30, 2004

CONTACT: Nicole Nordbye, (605) 773-3301 or nicole.nordbye@state.sd.us

Travel Counselors See South Dakota Up Close 

PIERRE, S.D. – Fifty-six travel counselors from South Dakota's 10 Interstate Information Centers tour the state May 3-7. The counselors represent all the Information Centers: Chamberlain, New Effington, Salem, Spearfish, Tilford, Valley Springs, Vermillion, Vivian, Wasta and Wilmot. 

Each year, the South Dakota Office of Tourism holds a training tour for the travel counselors. “This tour provides our counselors with extensive knowledge and a familiarity of South Dakota,” said Patricia Van Gerpen, director of the Office of Tourism. “Those tools enable them to meet the needs and expectations of travelers who seek their advice and recommendations about local places to visit as well as well-known attractions across the state. These travel counseling skills will assist them in extending travelers’ trip duration thereby increasing visitor spending.” 

The information center training tour begins and ends in Pierre. During the swing through the state, travel counselors visit attractions and stay in hotel/motel properties while gaining valuable knowledge to cross-sell South Dakota to visitors.

Some of the tour stops include the Capital City Queen excursion boat in Pierre, South Dakota Tractor Museum in Kimball, Sertoma Butterfly House in Sioux Falls, Wounded Knee Museum in Wall, Matthews Opera House in Spearfish, Tatanka – Story of the Bison in Deadwood, Crazy Horse Memorial, Wild Horse Sanctuary near Hot Springs, Mount Rushmore National Memorial and the Badlands Observatory in Quinn. Two other stops include travel literature swap meets, one in Sioux Falls and the other in Rapid City, hosted by the Southeast South Dakota Tourism Association and the Black Hills, Badlands & Lakes Association. The Information Centers open May 15. Go to www.TravelSD.com for a map of South Dakota's Interstate Information Centers.

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