DALLAS (1080 KRLD)- Shoppers at Galleria Dallas are getting a surprise this Presidents’ Day. A replica of Mt. Rushmore has been set up in the ice skating rink in the middle of the shopping complex.
“Presidents’ Day is a big weekend, right? It’s one of those with all of the epic sales…and you always see Mount Rushmore as part of that imagery,” said Mike Gussiaas, Global Marketing and Brand Strategy Director for the South Dakota Department of Tourism. They have installed the replica of Mt. Rushmore to help boost tourism from Texas to their state.
“This is an opportunity to come down personally and really talk to Texans and get them up to see Mount Rushmore and everything we have to offer in South Dakota,” he said.
The replica features Presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt – just like the real monument. While it’s considerably smaller than the real thing, it still makes quite an impression. The most common reaction, Gussiaas said, is one of surprise.
”People say ‘that’s Mount Rushmore. Why is it here in the middle of the ice rink in the Dallas mall?’ After that, it’s ‘who are you, why are you here, are you from South Dakota?’ which is always great,” he said.
South Dakota tourism officials chose Dallas for the promotion because they’ve noticed a growing number of Texans traveling to their state.
“Traditionally, our markets are Chicago, Minneapolis, and more regional – upper Midwest. But we really have seen just a growing attention or interest from Texas markets,” he said. “Some of the first times we started seeing Texas traffic, I remember asking a Texan – why would a Texan come to South Dakota? And their answer was: have you ever been to Texas in July?” The average high temperature in July in Dallas is 96°. The average high for Keystone, South Dakota during that period is 83°.
Tourism supported more than 54,000 jobs in South Dakota last year and generated 11% of the state’s sales tax collections.
While the promotion in Dallas (and a contest for a free travel voucher) are tied to Presidents’ Day, South Dakota is welcoming visitors year-round.
“People are starting to plan vacations earlier in the year, and so this is an opportunity for us to just get out there and personally invite a certain market to come visit South Dakota,” Gussiass said.
Visitors to the display at Galleria Dallas can take photos of the replica, get information about other South Dakota tourism sites, and have their pictures taken with four presidential mascots.
“Teddy (Roosevelt) seems to be everybody’s favorite because of the wild and wooly nature of his,” Gussiaas said. “The crowd vote tends to go to Teddy.”
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