The Visitor Beat

Welcome to The Visitor Beat, the monthly newsletter of Experience Sioux Falls. Stay up-to-date on what's going on locally in the travel industry, as well as what's trending nationally. 

Request access to view an interactive dashboard of Sioux Falls visitor statistics.

Last Call: 2027 Sioux Falls Visitor Guide Advertising

There's not much time left to reserve your advertisement in the 2027 Sioux Falls Visitor Guide. Being produced by Flynn Wright, the guide has a variety of high-impact placements available to accommodate any budget size. Don’t miss your chance to get your business in front of the eyes of visitors from around the world.

Click the button below to fill out the form to reserve your spot or contact Laura Arnett who is leading all Sioux Falls Visitor Guide advertising sales for Flynn Wright.

Email Laura Arnett


Nearly 200 Teams Competed in Sioux Falls in July

July was a busy month on the diamonds in Sioux Falls after hosting the Athletx Baseball World Series, Babe Ruth Midwest Plains Regional Baseball Tournament, and the USA Fastpitch Softball Northern Nationals. The three tournaments hosted a total of 188 youth baseball and softball teams from across the Midwest region and even from as far as Utah, California, Illinois, Missouri, and Canada. As a result of hosting the three tournaments, Sioux Falls received a combined estimated economic impact of $3.2 million.

Nike Cross Heartland Regional

On November 15 over 6,000 high school cross-country runners will be in Sioux Falls for the 18th annual Nike Cross Heartland Regional. Being held at Yankton Trail Park, the event will bring in runners from South Dakota, North Dakota, Minnesota, Nebraska, Iowa, Wisconsin, and Kansas, making it the largest regional in the nation for Nike Cross. 

The Nike Cross Heartland Regional has seen tremendous growth since its first year with just 625 athletes. It is now the best-attended regional in the country and the gold standard for Nike’s national qualifying series.

“Each year, the Nike Cross Heartland Regional brings an incredible energy to Sioux Falls, and we’re so excited to welcome thousands of athletes, coaches, families, and fans to our community again in 2026. We’re incredibly grateful for the continued support from Sioux Falls as a whole. Community partnerships have played an important role in making this event what it is today, and we’re proud to continue building our event for years to come."
- Kristi Rieger, NXR Heartland XC Meet Director

U.S. Travel Association's ESTO

Last month, several members of the Experience Sioux Falls team were in Philadelphia attending U.S. Travel Association’s annual Educational Seminar for Tourism Organizations (ESTO). The team was part of over 1,000 destination marketers in attendance representing cities and states from across the country, including members of the Travel South Dakota team.

ESTO is regarded as a premier marketing conference in the industry, with sessions about the latest travel stats and trends, along with opportunities to connect with colleagues in different parts of the country to discuss challenges and successes.

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