RAPID CITY, S.D. (AP) - Officials are planning to market the Black Hills region of western South Dakota to China, Germany and the United Kingdom.

State and regional tourism officials are working with Brand USA - a public-private partnership aimed at promoting international travel to the U.S. - on the $7,000 effort, the Rapid City Journal reported (https://bit.ly/1JRR88R ).

Crews on Monday will begin three days of filming Black Hills attractions including Mount Rushmore National Memorial, Crazy Horse Memorial, Rapid City museums and art, and Deadwood’s historic Main Street, said Brianne Maciejowski, a spokeswoman for Brand USA. People from the United Kingdom, Germany and China will host the videos, touting the destinations in their native language, she said.

“South Dakota is a very unique place with an interesting combination of attractions, from Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse and Native American culture to a Western feel that is the heart of America,” Maciejowski said. “We believe that will appeal to the international visitor.”

South Dakota Tourism Secretary James Hagen said that when he and his associates saw the $7,000 cost of partnering with Brand USA, “We said, ‘Hallelujah, we can do this.’”

“I give a lot of credit to Brand USA, because its partners around the country range from New York City and the state of California to the state of South Dakota,” Hagen said. “They know we have a limited budget, and the fact they give us this opportunity with a price point that’s affordable is incredible.”

The partnership will enable millions of potential international visitors to learn about the attributes of western South Dakota, said Michelle Thomson, president and CEO of the Black Hills, Badlands & Lakes tourism group.

“This is putting South Dakota and the Black Hills on the worldwide map,” Thomson said.

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Information from: Rapid City Journal, https://www.rapidcityjournal.com

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