New Mexico opts to cancel national tourism campaign

R IO R A NCHO, N.M.» The Santa Fe Plaza is empty. So are the narrow streets of the adobe-laden historic district in the heart of Albuquerque. The ski lifts are idle, the galleries are shuttered, and the fate of the summer art market season is uncertain.

New Mexico Secretary for Tourism Jen Schroer warned Friday that the state’s tourism industry will continue to suffer amid COVID-19 restrictions and vowed the state will do what it can to help hotels, tourist spots and businesses recover once restrictions are lifted.

Schroer also announced Friday that the state has canceled its spring national campaign and will scrap all upcoming events related to certain tourism events.

Without giving many details, Schroer said during a webinar that tourism businesses could start preparing for recovery through state and federal programs. She mentioned that a few grants are available. “New Mexico’s tourism industry will come roaring back,” she said. “But we need to start now.”

Since Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and other governors began adopting restrictions aimed at reducing the spread of the coronavirus, attendance at many popular tourist destinations has dropped to nearly zero. New Mexico’s largest airport, Sunport

International in Albuquerque, has seen its traffic reduced by 90%.

The drop in tourism comes after the state has seen years of growth.

In 2018, officials announced that New Mexico’s tourism industry in 2017 injected $6.6 billion into the economy. That was a 3.2% increase over 2016, or $200 million more, and the largest in state history.

Former Gov. Susana Martinez has credited the “New Mexico True” campaign for “record-breaking” tourism during her eight years in office.

Created in 2012, the initial $2 million tourism campaign featured colorful images of families in New Mexico kayaking, mountain climbing and making pottery.

New Mexico has spent more than $60 million since 2012 promoting the state’s popular tourist attractions on billboards and in commercials in Texas, Arizona, New York and Illinois.

The campaign refers visitors to tagged New Mexico photos on social media with the #Newmexicotrue hashtag.

In addition to highlighting famous sites such as White Sands National Monument and Taos Pueblo, the brand focuses on tourist experiences such as the Breakfast Burrito Byway, a list of restaurants that serve New Mexican cuisine-style breakfast burritos, and exploring the path of legendary outlaw Billy the Kid.