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Visitor Industry Alliance
Annual Meeting to be Held
October 15 in Pierre
The Visitory Industry Alliance (VIA) annual meeting will be held Wednesday, October 15, 2008 at the Ramkota in Pierre, beginning at 11 AM and concluding no later than 2 PM. The annual meeting will include a review of the previous year's activities and provide an opportunity to discuss goals for 2009. A formal meeting notice will be mailed to all VIA members later this summer.
VIA Executive Summary
The South Dakota Visitor Industry Alliance (VIA) was created to unify tourism related industries in order to have a presence at the South Dakota Legislature. According to VIA’s bylaws, the purpose of the group is to be the statewide advocate for the visitor industry and to provide a coordinating alliance for the visitor industry in South Dakota.
The initial concept of VIA grew out of the Destinations 2004 project that the South Dakota Department of Tourism announced in 1994. The Destinations group envisioned a vehicle that would be unrestricted in its policies and stances.
On March 29, 1994, a small group from the Destinations project met to discuss the ever-increasing legislative issues that were plaguing the visitor industry, especially the Governor’s recommendation for a self-sufficient funding mechanism for the state Department of Tourism. The group determined that the industry needed solid and permanent representation before the legislature and elected officials. The formation of the South Dakota Visitor Industry Alliance was the result of that meeting.
The Visitor Industry Alliance was incorporated in 1995. The VIA Board of Directors and members have been involved in a number of activities since that time. Most notably, VIA was a leader for the 1995 legislative process that established the “tourism” tax as the funding mechanism for the South Dakota Department of Tourism. VIA also introduced legislation during the 1997 session to clarify which tourism-related businesses would collect the tourism tax. This bill was passed by the 1997 Legislature.
Since that time, the organization has continued its advocacy role for the South Dakota visitor industry, while continually seeking new methods to increase funding for promotional efforts.
Annual activities include a special luncheon held during the Governor's Conference on Tourism in January, as well as fund raising events that occur at the same time.
Membership Information
The South Dakota Visitor Industry Alliance (VIA) was formed by the visitor industry to fill a void of representation before the legislature.
VIA was organized so the industry would have a united front and be recognized during the lawmaking process as "the statewide advocate for the visitor industry."
VIA Purposes:
1.
To be the statewide advocate for the visitor industry.
2. To provide a coordinating alliance for the visitor industry in the state of South Dakota.
3. To propose and monitor legislation that is pro-visitor industry and to oppose legislation that is detrimental to the visitor industry.
Membership Dues
The VIA Board of Directors would like to offer you the strength of our voice at the legislature. To become part of this voice, a yearly investment based on your business's annual taxable sales is requested.
Sales equal to or under $ 100,000 = Dues of $100
Sales of $100,001 to 200,000 = Dues of $120
Sales of $200,001 to 300,000 = Dues of $180
Sales of $300,001 to 400,000 = Dues of $247.50
Sales of $400,001 to 500,000 = Dues of $330
Sales of $500,001 to 600,000 = Dues of $440
Sales of $600,001 to 700,000 = Dues of $550
Sales of $700,001 to 800,000 = Dues of $660
Sales of $800,001 to 900,000 = Dues of $880
Sales of $900,000 to $1 million = Dues of $1,000
Investment rates for chambers of commerce are $100, plus $100 for communities with a population above 5,000.
Convention and visitor bureaus are $200, plus $100 for communities with a population above 5,000.
Other associations' investments are based on the organization's annual budget using the above sales scale.
Membership investments in VIA are not tax deductible.
Note: The South Dakota Visitor Industry Alliance contracts with the South Dakota Chamber of Commerce and Industry for administrative services.