By Randy Randall, Executive Director, Tourism Santa Fe
Tania Armenta, CEO, Visit Albuquerque
Tonya Stinson, Executive Director, Farmington Convention & Visitors Bureau
Philip San Filippo, Economic Development Director, Las Cruces

Tourism is one of the largest employment and revenue sectors for the state - employing over 100,000 people, bringing in $6.6 billion in revenue and paying in $660 million in state and local taxes. Whether someone is making the decision to move to or retire in New Mexico, buy a vacation home, or open a business in our state, the first point of entry for most people is as a visitor. For many, the message that had them consider a trip to New Mexico was a well-placed New Mexico True ad.

At this critical juncture in our state’s history, the Tourism Industry and broader state economy are poised to move forward under the leadership of our new Governor. How we move forward is of utmost importance. Governor Lujan Grisham and Tourism Department Cabinet Secretary Jen Schroer have prioritized the continued growth of the state’s tourism industry by proposing an ambitious increase of $6.3 million in the overall tourism budget, of which $6.06 million will go into marketing and promotion. While that is a significant increase to the current Tourism Department marketing budget of $10.5 million, it would still be substantially lower than the 2017-2018 budgets of our neighboring states, which were:

• Colorado – $19.6 million
• Arizona –$21.7 million
• Utah – $22.5 million
• Texas - $24 million

We know the New Mexico True brand campaign is working to change the image of New Mexico as a great tourism destination AND promote our amazing cultural assets and outdoor adventures. The New Mexico True brand campaign is being seen in major airports like Denver, Dallas, Houston and Chicago, and in other media including airline magazines, magazines, digital ads, social media and in prominent news stories. Because of the campaign’s success, we have seen a dramatic increase in tourism activity and visitor spending in every region of the State. Since the rollout of the New Mexico True brand in 2011, the number of annual visitors to the state has increased from 31.7 million to 36.1 million, a growth rate that is 50% higher than the national average.

Secretary Schroer has indicated that the Governor’s increased budget would provide the Tourism Department with a huge opportunity to more deeply saturate the markets we are already serving and strategically reach into new markets that research shows would yield high visitor results to take the New Mexico True brand to the next level. The additional funding would also allow the Department to tap into the state’s robust outdoor economy through collaborative destination marketing with local tourism groups and private businesses while promoting outdoor recreation and supporting an outdoor focused economy in our state.

The increased budget will undoubtedly provide a measurable and substantive return on investment for all New Mexicans, which will help us diversify and grow our economy. Every Return on Investment (ROI) metric shows the current campaign is outperforming industry metrics and, if we invest another $6 million, we can expect to see a robust ROI – in lodgers’ tax, gross receipts tax, and revenue to all the establishments and attractions that see a direct benefit from increased visitors.

New Mexico is a state in momentum. Tourism and economic development are on the rise. Investing in tourism has brought us record numbers of visitors. Let’s bring more - it’s good for everyone.

As active members of the New Mexico Hospitality Association, we speak for our membership in saying that the tourism and hospitality industry is 100 percent behind the Governor and Cabinet Secretary’s increased budget recommendation. We can only grow with bold action. We know this plan will produce unprecedented results, and we will work side by side with the administration to have New Mexico thrive.

Content on the Beat

WARNING: All articles and photos with a byline or photo credit are copyrighted to the author or photographer. You may not use any information found within the articles without asking permission AND giving attribution to the source. Photos can be requested and may incur a nominal fee for use personally or commercially.

Disclaimer: If you find errors in articles not written by the Beat team but sent to us from other content providers, please contact the writer, not the Beat. For example, obituaries are always provided by the funeral home or a family member. We can fix errors, but please give details on where the error is so we can find it. News releases from government and non-profit entities are posted generally without change, except for legal notices, which incur a small charge.

NOTE: If an article does not have a byline, it was written by someone not affiliated with the Beat and then sent to the Beat for posting.

Images: We have received complaints about large images blocking parts of other articles. If you encounter this problem, click on the title of the article you want to read and it will take you to that article's page, which shows only that article without any intruders. 

New Columnists: The Beat continues to bring you new columnists. And check out the old faithfuls who continue to provide content.

Newsletter: If you opt in to the Join GCB Three Times Weekly Updates option above this to the right, you will be subscribed to email notifications with links to recently posted articles.

Submitting to the Beat

Those new to providing news releases to the Beat are asked to please check out submission guidelines at https://www.grantcountybeat.com/about/submissions. They are for your information to make life easier on the readers, as well as for the editor.

Advertising: Don't forget to tell advertisers that you saw their ads on the Beat.

Classifieds: We have changed Classifieds to a simpler option. Check periodically to see if any new ones have popped up. Send your information to editor@grantcountybeat.com and we will post it as soon as we can. Instructions and prices are on the page.

Editor's Notes

It has come to this editor's attention that people are sending information to the Grant County Beat Facebook page. Please be aware that the editor does not regularly monitor the page. If you have items you want to send to the editor, please send them to editor@grantcountybeat.com. Thanks!

Here for YOU: Consider the Beat your DAILY newspaper for up-to-date information about Grant County. It's at your fingertips! One Click to Local News. Thanks for your support for and your readership of Grant County's online news source—www.grantcountybeat.com

Feel free to notify editor@grantcountybeat.com if you notice any technical problems on the site. Your convenience is my desire for the Beat.  The Beat totally appreciates its readers and subscribers!  

Compliance: Because you are an esteemed member of The Grant County Beat readership, be assured that we at the Beat continue to do everything we can to be in full compliance with GDPR and pertinent US law, so that the information you have chosen to give to us cannot be compromised.