(Pierre, SD) — Tourism Secretary Jim Hagen says South Dakota could benefit this summer from higher gas prices. Hagen told News Watch that data his department has collected shows South Dakota has outperformed other states in years when gas prices were higher than normal or rising. Mount Rushmore is a landmark tourist destination that is often visited by families that plan road trips. Hagen says the state has a strong regional-drive market as an ultimate road-trip destination. Higher gas prices and heightened popularity of the monument for the country’s 250th anniversary this year could fill up the state’s coffers more than usual.
