NM tourism officers make case for $25M funding enhance » Albuquerque Journal

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(Eddie Moore / Albuquerque Journal)

Copyright © 2021 Albuquerque Journal

SANTA FE – New Mexico hasn’t started rolling out the visitor welcome mat yet, but senior tourism officials said Thursday that a funding infusion would ensure the state could capitalize on pent-up demand for travel once the COVID-19 pandemic wore off is.

Members of the Senate Finance Committee did not vote on Thursday on the state Department of Tourism’s request for $ 25 million of special equipment – on top of the agency’s core budget – but some of them indicated that compliance was due current business and travel restrictions is a kind of game of chance.

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“If we have to cancel (visitor plans), they may never come back,” said Senator George Muñoz, D-Gallup, chairman of the committee.

Tourism Minister Jen Schroer described the figure of 25 million US dollars as a “minimum investment”. New Mexico brand awareness declined in the past year as the tourism advertising campaign largely ceased during the pandemic.

The $ 25 million requested would be used primarily to expand a tourism marketing initiative for New Mexico in “high quality” markets in the coming year, although the exact breakdown of funds will depend on the state’s COVID-19 vaccine schedule and other factors would.

A recent analysis by the Tourism Department found that the COVID-19 pandemic cost the state an average of $ 337 million per month in visitor spending and $ 163 million in state and local tax revenue.

In addition to the business restrictions imposed by the government of Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham to help slow the spread of the virus, the governor has also issued a 14-day quarantine order that applies to most people entering New Mexico.

This arrangement currently applies to those entering New Mexico from all states other than Hawaii and is among the strictest of its kind in the nation.

While it’s unclear when the order might be canceled, Schroer said New Mexico could benefit from an increase in travel even if flight levels remain low. 80% of tourists outside the state go to the state.

“We know the end is in sight – it’s just a matter of when,” she said during Thursday’s hearing.

If approved, the $ 25 million special funding and the remainder of the Department of Tourism’s annual budget would be included in a new government spending plan for the fiscal year beginning July.

Legislators are not expected to sign a final version of the budget by the end of this year’s 60-day session, which ends in March. This could give him more time to assess the state’s pandemic prospects.

However, Schroer cautioned that waiting too long before the state’s tourism marketing campaign was revived could mean potential visitors would be missed.

“People are dreaming of their post-pandemic vacation right now – I know I am,” she said.