South Dakota international tourism.

According to most accounts, foreign tourists seem to be flooding the United States. The U.S. Travel and Tourism Administration, a division of the U.S. Department of Commerce, reported in May 1994 that visitors from abroad had spent about $74.4 billion in this country during 1993. As Americans were reported to have spent $53.6 billion overseas during the same period, the U.S. was able to benefit from a $20.8 billion tourism trade surplus.

What about South Dakota? While it is difficult to come up with reliable statistics, there are nevertheless plenty of indications that international tourism is becoming increasingly important for the state. According to television news reports, the recent Northern Plains Tribal Arts Show in Sioux Falls attracted visitors from throughout the United States, but also from several foreign nations. A segment on KELO television showed the crew of a popular German television program filming a German lady's dream trip, taking her throughout South Dakota. South Dakota's largest newspaper, the Argus Leader, reported on September 6 that foreign visitors helped make the summer of 1994 one of the best for the state's tourism industry. The paper quoted Al Mueller, owner of the well-known Al's Oasis restaurant (outside Chamberlain), as saying "foreign travel, especially from Central Europe, is just an unlimited market. They're coming in busloads, and they seem to have a lot of money." In the same report, Mike Rodman, president of the Deadwood Gaming Association, referred to visitors from other countries as an important source of revenue.

Additional evidence of the importance of international tourism for South Dakota comes from the Rocky Mountain Roundup '94 which took place in Rapid City on June 11. The regional travel fair was fully sold out with 37 South Dakota entities participating, including the "1880 Train" Black Hills Central Railroad and the "World's Only Corn Palace". Many Wyoming tourist attractions were also represented at this fair, which gave European tour operators a chance to become familiar with what South Dakota and other western states have to offer.

Finally, virtually all of the South Dakota receptive operators offer their services in several languages.

Why are we seeing so many foreign tourists? Above all, the cost of visiting the United States has become quite reasonable. The Germans, for example, currently pay less than 1.6 German marks for a U.S. dollar. That is about one-third of what they had to pay some years ago. The Japanese pay less than 100 yen per dollar which is almost one-fourth of its value about ten years ago. International airfares also have become much more reasonable due to increased competition and much lower fuel prices.