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.

Team Updates

The Experience Sioux Falls team has had a busy and notable last few weeks with events, awards, and giving back. Here’s what the team has been up to lately:

• CEO Teri Schmidt was inducted into the USA Softball South Dakota Hall of Fame during its banquet last month.
• Accountant Brooke Penn was a finalist for the Banking and Finance award during the 53rd Annual The EMBES – A Tribute to Women event.
• Four members of the team had the opportunity to present to a SDSU class studying hospitality. The class spent a day in Sioux Falls hearing from various businesses within the hospitality industry to get an inside look at the many different careers that exist within the industry.
• A few weeks ago, the ESF team greeted hundreds of pheasant hunters at the Sioux Falls Regional Airport as they arrived in our state prior to opening day of the pheasant hunting season.
• ESF staff and industry peers were invited to be judges for the People’s Choice Award during the annual Festival of Bands parade and competition last month.
• The ESF team spent a morning volunteering at Feeding South Dakota where they sorted and packed 1,600 lbs of produce.
• The ESF team also recently had a day of learning and insights on the direction AI is heading and how to best leverage it to your advantage while remaining authentic at the AiEdge Summit.

South Dakota Governor's Conference on Tourism

The registration window is now open for the annual South Dakota Governor’s Conference on Tourism, taking place January 19-21 at the Ramkota Hotel & Conference Center in Pierre. This event brings together hundreds of people in the tourism industry from across the state, including a strong contingent from Sioux Falls. Learn from industry peers and hear from speakers that are experts in their fields, in addition to hearing about what’s on the horizon for the Travel South Dakota team for 2027.

There’s still time to submit nominations for the Tourism Awards, which will be presented during the banquet on the last night of the conference.

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