May 4, 2026

When Andrew Adam opened Reptile Adventure Zoo in Sioux Falls late last year, he didn’t realize he was entering the visitor industry.

“I knew I wanted to bring a zoo to town but didn’t really think about how it’s a tourism attraction,” he said.

“And now, I’m in the tourism industry. So I signed up for conferences to focus on the cyclical nature (of the business) and on promotion during the downtime, so there’s been a learning curve this first year.”

As Reptile Adventure Zoo prepares for its first summer at 2501 W. Russell St., Adam has new additions he expects will be a draw.

There’s “Big Al,” a 6-foot black throat monitor lizard who recently moved into the zoo.

“He’s just a big hit,” Adam said. “He looks like a dinosaur, and he’s huge — our biggest lizard so far.”

Visitors occasionally even will see him walking the floor.

“And he’s fairly friendly, so it’s fun to see him trounce around,” Adam said.

There’s also a new exhibit for an Asian water monitor with a large pool and waterfall. And the gift shop is stocked with adoptable animals and supplies for reptile pets. There’s even a zoo camp scheduled for the summer and an increasing number of field trips.

“One of the days (recently) it was colder and rainy, and we were just packed,” Adam said. “The market has really, really showed up.”

He has drawn visitors from across the state as well as those within a two- to three-hour drive of Sioux Falls visiting family or passing through, he said.

“We really benefit from being so close to the event centers in that part of town,” he added. “They’ve stopped before a flight, or there’s a big wrestling match and we have 50 people that day from kids wrestling.”

New attractions and events in Sioux Falls plus returning favorites appear to be combining for a solid start to the year in the tourism industry.

Looking at hotel occupancy, “2023 was down, 2024 was up, 2025 was down, and 2026 is heading in the right direction,” said Shawn Pritchett, the city’s director of finance.

“If you look at how 2026 is going through April versus this time last year, occupancy is up almost 3 percent, rates are up almost 4 percent, and demand for rooms is up 4.6 percent, so we’re definitely trending in the right direction.”

Still, despite a down year in 2025, the southeast region still led the state in visitor spending, accounting for 40 percent of the total, or more than $2 billion. Sioux Falls estimates that it accounted for $1.2 billion of that total, reflecting 3.4 million visitors.

From a visitor industry perspective this year, “we’re anticipating a good season,” said Teri Schmidt, CEO of Experience Sioux Falls.

“All our requests are up, people visiting the website are up, so things are looking good. The one thing we’re concerned about is gas prices and other prices and will that affect people’s budgets so much they end up deciding not to travel.”

Sioux Falls can become a destination of choice in a value-driven market, she added.

“We’re a perfect regional destination,” Schmidt said. “Do they take a three- or four-day vacation instead of a big long one?”

Bus tours coming up “are incredibly good,” she added. “We’re just rocking it. It’s 50 to 60 people for every bus, and it’s not just a one-off. Many of the groups we’re booking are saying ‘we’ll be coming through with five different groups or five weekends.'”

Sioux Falls benefits from a walkable environment, especially downtown, with free attractions.

Last weekend brought the arrival of 80 new sculptures throughout downtown Sioux Falls, representing 56 artists in the annual SculptureWalk.

“From our perspective, SculptureWalk absolutely plays a role in attracting visitors to Sioux Falls,” said Kristine Chrisopulos, director of strategic initiatives for Washington Pavilion Management Inc.

“In the months leading up to the spring and summer, we often hear from individuals who are planning trips and specifically want to time their visit around when the new sculptures are installed.”

Other key draws this year are expected to be Jacobson Plaza, now in its first full summer offering the city’s largest playground, a splash pad, dog park and roller skating on the ribbon during the summer. Levitt at the Falls will offer 50 free concerts in addition to other programming nearby, and larger music festivals Rock the Country and Lallycooler Music Festival are expected to draw out-of-town guests.

“That’s going to be a big deal,” Schmidt said. “People like outdoor things in the summer, and we’re obviously doing that.”

Sports events also continue to support visitor business. A Midwest regional baseball tournament in July is expected to bring 1,500 people from eight states.

From the city’s standpoint, “there are positive indicators out there,” Pritchett said. “Performances and bookings at the Convention Center are trending up, so I think overall, people are feeling more optimistic even with higher gas prices and maybe it plays in our favor that people will stay closer to home.”

The hotel market essentially is unchanged from last year from a capacity standpoint, with no new properties opening, though the Everhome Suites is progressing with construction near the Sanford Sports Complex. The hope is to open by the end of the year, though it depends on factors such as overseas shipping.

Across the state, the hotel industry also is off to a strong start for the year. Through March, year-to-date demand was up 2.4 percent compared with a year ago, and average daily rate increased 4.6 percent.

Statewide, South Dakota welcomed almost 15 million visitors who spent a record-setting $5.16 billion in 2025. Most regions experienced growth compared with 2024.

The state will mark National Travel and Tourism Week this week by illuminating landmarks statewide in red, the official color of the tourism industry, to symbolize collective support for the power of travel.

In Sioux Falls, you can see it at the following locations:

• Arc of Dreams
• Denny Sanford Premier Center
• Falls Park
• Sioux Falls Regional Airport parking garage
• The Steel District’s Currents art installation in the office tower
• Washington Pavilion