7/11/19 New Mexico Tourism Department record visits -Albuquerque Business First

New Mexico Tourism Department record visits

State parks, historical sites and museums helped drive a record number of visits to New Mexico in 2018.

On Wednesday, the state tourism department unveiled its annual statewide visitation report, announcing a record-breaking number of visits for the seventh consecutive year as 36.6 million trips were taken to and around the state in 2018 — besting last year's figure by 1.2 million and more than 3 percent.

The report highlighted six activities and experiences visitors participated in: national and state parks, museums, art galleries, landmarks and historic sites, hiking and backpacking, and visits to tribal communities. In all six instances, New Mexico performed above the U.S. average, with the highest percentage of visitors going to state parks, historical sites and museums, according to the report.

“These positive trends demonstrate the effectiveness of the New Mexico True brand,” Tourism Secretary Jen Paul Schroer said in a statement. “Increases in marketable trips and overnight trips demonstrate the strength of the brand and its power to convert prospective travelers into real visits to New Mexico, which means more outside dollars feeding into New Mexico, more jobs and more revenue for the state.”

The tourism department issued a request for proposals last month, seeking a marketing firm for its flagship contract. The vendor will be asked to build on the momentum of the New Mexico True campaign and further tourism initiatives through creative development, production and distribution, and more. According to the RFP, that firm needs to be New Mexico-based. Companies had until July 8 to submit a bid before finalists are chosen and last presentations are made. The contract is set to be awarded Aug. 30 once the selection committee finalizes the contract with the vendor.

While she was campaigning for her role, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said she wanted to tap into the state's outdoor economy to boost tourism. She recommended an additional $6 million for the tourism industry to help expand that market, according to previous Business First reporting.

The tourism department is set to release its study on economic impact for 2018 later this year, according to a release. The state's tourism industry had a $6.6 billion economic impact in 2017 — a more than 3 percent increase from its 2016 mark.