Forever 605

Hey all! I know it has been a while since you have heard from us here but I assure you we are continuing to make some great progress for the community.

However, today, I want to take a little time to switch gears slightly. This week I attended the Governor's Conference on Tourism and as always, I had such a wonderful time reconnecting with those that cater so much to our state to make it the amazing place it is. As we know, tourism plays a vital role in our community and the Tourism Conference always holds a special place in my year as I was a graduate from SDSU in the Hospitality and Tourism program and our class was the first one to attend the conference as college students. (Proof is below with a photo of Matt Roloff and me)

Cycling back to relevance for today-Secretary Jim Hagan mentioned how South Dakota is focusing on the 80/20 rule. 80% grit/20% grace. What does that mean? The average traveler today is looking for adventure over tangible objects. They want to come to South Dakota to experience a slower pace of living, to walk our prairies, the Badlands, and to hike in the Black Hills. Right now is our time to appeal to the travelers and show them that it is possible to run a business in a small, rural community and that our community can become their new hometown.

So, what does Travel SD (Department of Tourism) have planned for 2024 to help promote visiting our state? I'm not going to lie, it's pretty exciting... a Bison Bus. Not just a bus with pictures of bison on it, but (see below) rather a picture of a South Dakota sunset in the background with bison in the photo and then a BIG, GIANT bison head up front... that will definitely catch the attention of travelers!

Make sure you're also paying attention to the commercials during the Super Bowl, as you'll see a commercial of South Dakota featuring a 90's band... Lastly, something I'm excited to see develop here in our community, Rally Rush. The question for the moment-How might we roll out the red dirt carpet for Rally goers and capitalize on the opportunity to encourage those attend the OG-HD (original Harley Davidson rally) and enjoy their stop here in the Murdo area?

The updates this month may look different than typical. But I couldn't help but share the excitement and the effort Travel SD is putting in to attracting visitors to our state. Now it is up to us to capitalize on their work to appeal to visitors and see if they would consider the Murdo area in their future. How might we build our grit & grace to help our future continue to thrive and encourage more individuals to choose Forever 605?