Tourism’s May Monthly Status Report Page 1 MEMORANDUM TO: Marty Davis DATE: June 7, 2006 FROM: Billie Jo Waara SUBJECT: Tourism’s May Monthly Status Report 2010 Initiative Please refer to the web site at 2010initiative.com for updates. Rural Tourism Participated in regional arts meetings in Yankton in April and in Sisseton in May. Attended Agri-tourism Conference in Yankton. Attended Southeast South Dakota meeting on Agri-cultural Tourism. Participated in Rural Assessment Training in Pierre. Public Relations Assisted with and attended Tourism press conferences, May 1, in Rapid City and Sioux Falls with the Governor. Briefings were given on the success of the ethanol coupon promotion and other peak season elements. Coupon redemptions are being paid by ethanol industry; not by the Office of Tourism. Completed details of See America/See South Dakota Week which included radio spots in communities with CVBs. Distributed co-op direct mail events flyer to homes with children in Sioux Falls, Fargo, Sioux City, Rapid City, Aberdeen, Watertown, Pierre, Mitchell, Brookings, Huron, Chamberlain/Oacoma, and Deadwood. The events flyer was a partnership with the communities listed above, and each chose their community’s event for the flyer. Media blitzes included working with Rapid City, Spearfish, and Aberdeen CVBs to organize radio and newspaper interviews – recorded interview with Aberdeen American News and participated in a live phone interview with KGIM radio in Aberdeen; gave interviews on four live broadcasts for Rushmore Radio stations; gave two newspaper interviews in Spearfish with Spearfish CVB. Other media interviews included KCCR in Pierre; KWAT, KDLO, and Power 106 in Watertown; 910 Depot Radio in Brookings; KSOO in Sioux Falls; WNAX, KYNT, MIX 106, and Yankton Press and Dakotan in Yankton; KMIT, KORN, and Mitchell Daily Republic in Mitchell. Drafted, edited, distributed and/or posted to MediaSD.com and State News Web Site press releases regarding “Twenty Bucks for the Road,” See South Dakota Week, individual press releases for 12 CVB partner communities, and Lake Andes Fish Days. Participated in phone conversation with Cabela’s and Pierre Chamber regarding PSAs and press releases for the fishing tournament in June. Worked on details of hostings for Dave Hoekstra of Chicago Sun Times; John Smith for filming “Discovering America” on The Outdoor Channel; and Dan Kaercher of Midwest Living for his new book. Fact-checked data for Dan Kaercher's new book. Interviewed by Minnesota Public Radio; Rochester Post Bulletin; USA Today; Channel 6 News and Omaha World Herald, Omaha, and KNEN TV, Norfolk, Nebraska; Channel 4 News and KMEG TV, Sioux City, Iowa; KWRD Tourism’s May Monthly Status Report Page 2 Radio, Dallas, Texas; WTDY TV, Madison, Wisconsin; and South Dakota Public Radio for stories regarding “Twenty Bucks for the Road” program and our peak season marketing campaign. Responded to and fulfilled requests for information from CBS Early Show, Travel Queen Radio Show, Meetings Media, KSFY, AAA Home & Away, and Midwest Living, Attended meeting in Wall for Comin’ to Your City program. Trade Sales Group Tour/International Asked CVBs in the state to forward suggestions for information to include in a meeting and convention facilities guide. This guide, whether posted online and/or in print, would be available to meeting and convention planners around the country. Researched domestic trade shows to consider attending in FY2007. Completed follow up to five travel agencies in Minneapolis that were contacted during the Trade Sales Blitz in April. Attended meeting in Rapid City regarding group tour promotion with Mostly Chocolates, Landstrom’s, and La Quinta. Traveled to Highmore to visit the June Harter Wilderness Area and the Wind Energy Plant. Met with the Highmore Booster Club to answer questions concerning group tours. Others attending included representatives from the Central South Dakota Enhancement District and Great Lakes Association. Cancelled 2Nation Tours Familiarization Tour, June 3-9, a joint effort with Minnesota Tourism, due to a number of participant cancellations; notified itinerary hosts. Compiled information and submitted South Dakota events to American Bus Association (ABA) for the ABA Top 100 Events in North America list. Sent ABA follow up letters to 98 leads obtained from attending ABA Marketplace in February. Sent final information on pow wow and appointments to South Dakota delegates for Travel Industry Association of America (TIA) Pow Wow. Delegation met with 65 tour operators and journalists during pow wow appointments. Worked on two late summer/early fall fam tour itineraries for Bob Oliver, Northwest Iowa Transportation. Assisted Bill Estep, Herald Leader, with information for a Lewis and Clark feature. Sent requested information to Ambler Tours & Travel Service, Inc., California. Updated listing of travel agents and completed final arrangements for fam for 18 travel agents, tour host, and airline representative for DERTOUR, Germany, May 31 – June 2, Black Hills and Badlands areas. Researched buffalo roundup at Badlands National Park for journalist Stefan Schomann, Germany, who is interested in attending and filming it. Fulfilled request from Bon Voyage, United Kingdom, for list of attractions for South Dakota site visits in early June. Provided information to John Martin, US Tours, United Kingdom, for site inspections for 2007 Rally Tour arrangements. Worked on lodging arrangements for Neil Murray, a journalist from England, for fam tour in August (900,000 readership of article in two publications). Fulfilled request for helps with tipi stay arrangements for Patrizia Pegolotti, UVET, Italy. Contacted Alex White Plum regarding request from Alidays, Italy, for clients visiting in August. Finalized itinerary for locations in the Black Hills and Badlands for two journalists from France, representing NotreTemps magazine (circ. one million). Tourism’s May Monthly Status Report Page 3 Continued working with Osamu Hoshino for a fam tour in late June in Rapid City and the Black Hills. He will be hosting 8-10 tour operators from Japan. Made arrangements and met with Karin Gert Nielsen, Atlantic Link, and Judith Betak, Berlingske Tidende, Denmark during their press trip in the De Smet area. Little House on the Prairie is shown on Danish TV every Saturday night. (Result of 2005 Scandinavian Mission.) Outdoors Switched snowatts to fishing hotline. Reports will be generated by Great Lakes and Glacial Lakes and Prairies Association. Mailed Outdoor Newsletter media packet to 3,000 outdoors editors and writers. Packets are mailed twice a year. Packet contents – story ideas and photos – are also placed on MeidaSD.com. Worked with Department of Game, Fish & Parks on gathering updated maps and information for the new Fishing and Hunting Guide, a 28 page, 4-color booklet. Expect delivery of 50,000 guides in late July. Film Office Posted press releases under What’s New on FilmSD.com: Dakota or Bust Film Festival and Film Casting Notice for Native American Men. Mailed approximately 150 information packets to contacts from Association of Film Commissions International (AFCI) Locations Trade Show held in April. Worked on plan for a new condensed, image-based Film/Video Production Guide to replace the current directory. Plan to print 5,000 booklets for mailing to film industry database in late September. Worked with Department of Revenue about rebate application and FAQ for new film incentive tax rebate. Information will be mailed to film industry contacts in July. Fulfilled information requests from Into the Wild, BBC Wild West, Gallop Studio, Without a Box, two New York producers, Biker Buildoff, and another individual. Attended meetings in Mission with Northern Plains Film Commission and in Rapid City with Black Hills Film Resource Council. AAA/CAA Fulfilled requests for materials to 33 AAA/CAA offices in Canada, California, Colorado, Iowa, Massachusetts, Maryland, Minnesota, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Jersey, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Wisconsin, Washington, DC, and South Dakota. Assembled and sent the May AAA e-newsletter via VerticalResponse.com to 92 recipients. Information Centers Fam for travel counselors included Winner, Sioux Falls, N. Sioux City, Yankton, Chamberlain, and Rapid City. Centers opened on May 13th. Received 26 comment cards for May. Reviewed and approved 30 new brochures for display purposes at the Centers. Followed up with the 66 poster co-op partners with addresses of the Centers where their posters can be displayed. There is still space available at Wasta EB and Salem EB. Approved T-shirts and sent sizes to businesses that want to participate in the T-shirt program. Tourism’s May Monthly Status Report Page 4 Met with Highway Patrol and Department of Transportation to discuss the Valley Springs Information Center rebuild. Date of the rebuild had to be pushed from 2008 to 2009. Welcome sign production was put on hold. Hospitality For 2006, 75 individuals/businesses received recognition for hospitality with the Governor’s Certificate; 13 received the foil star for a second recognition; and five received a gold lapel pin for a third recognition. Inquiries Total FY2006 Inquiries through 06-01-06: Mail: 23,532 Internet (e-mail): 88,705 Phone: 13,677 Total: 125,914 Total FY2005 Inquiries through 06-01-05: Mail: 46,984 Internet (e-mail): 83,507 Phone: _15,876 Total: 146,367 For fiscal year 2006, there is an overall decrease in inquiries of 14 percent over FY2005. Calculated Web stats for TravelSD.com