PIERRE, S.D.(DRGNews)- 13.5 million visitors to South Dakota spent $4.4 billion– yes, billion– in 2021.

State Tourism Department Secretary Jim Hagen released the numbers today (Jan. 19, 2022) during the annual tourism conference in Pierre. Hagen says those visitors added $2.9 billion to the state’s economy.

Hagen says tourism supports over 54,000 (54,208) jobs in South Dakota, but filling those positions has been challenging.

Hagen says the interest in Agritourism and Tribal Tourism just keeps growing.