April 20, 2026
This piece is sponsored by Experience Sioux Falls.
With the summer travel season quickly approaching, destinations and organizations in the visitor industry will be celebrating and recognizing the importance of travel during National Travel & Tourism Week, May 3-9.
Locally, Experience Sioux Falls will be kicking off the week of festivities by acknowledging customer service standouts with its Visitor Industry Awards, along with several other awards and recognitions, during the annual Visitor Industry Luncheon on Tuesday, May 5, at the Sioux Falls Convention Center.
“We asked for nominations of people who consistently deliver high standards with their customer service, and the people of Sioux Falls certainly delivered,” Experience Sioux Falls CEO Teri Schmidt said.
“We received nominations for so many incredible people that are making huge, positive impacts on guests’ experiences, and these people deserve to be recognized.”
The Visitor Industry Awards include four Hospitality Awards, which will be given to one person in each of the categories of attraction, hotel, restaurant and retail, and one Heart of the City Award, which recognizes a person who has made a significant contribution to the visitor industry through inspiration, spirit and excellent leadership.
View the list of past award winners.
Headlining the Visitor Industry Luncheon is global keynote speaker Jesse Israel, who is an expert in human performance and is known for founding The Big Quiet. Through that movement, he has led some of the largest meditations on earth, including some while on tour with Oprah Winfrey.
While Israel will not be leading any meditations during the Visitor Industry Luncheon, he will be sharing his expertise to help you reach your full potential.
The deadline to purchase tickets is near. Get your tickets before it’s too late.
Throughout National Travel & Tourism Week, industry partners will be recognized to show appreciation, and several attractions will be lighting up red throughout the week as red is the official color of the travel and tourism industry. If you plan to light up your business or attraction in red, Experience Sioux Falls would love to know. Get in touch here.
Experience Sioux Falls also will be encouraging the public to take its revamped online training quizzes in an upcoming sweepstakes in which you not only will receive a Sioux Falls T-shirt just for completing a quiz, but you also will be entered to win one of five $100 gift cards to a local establishment.
Keep an eye on Experience Sioux Falls’ social media channels — @experiencesfsd — for the launch of the sweepstakes later this week.
National Travel & Tourism Week will begin to wind down with a free hospitality training session from Travel South Dakota and the South Dakota Retailers Association on Thursday, May 7, at Monick Yards. The theme of this year’s session is Choosing to Care: How Curiosity Creates Community in the Workplace. It will be led by James Robilotta, who is a leadership author, motivational speaker and trained improv comedian.
