2005: Record Year for New Mexico Tourism, Filled with Successful New Ventures 

“2005 was a record year for the New Mexico tourism industry,” said Michael Cerletti, secretary of the New Mexico Tourism Department (NMTD) at a press conference today (January 30, 2006) in Santa Fe. “More accurate – and more impressive – calculations reveal that the industry is more vital to New Mexico than previously realized; and numbers from the first nine months of 2005 indicate we are headed for another record-setting year in tourism.”

The news conference was held at the Inn and Spa at Loretto, site of activities centering on Tourism Day at the Legislature.

Secretary Cerletti cited increases in the number of visitors to New Mexico in 2005 and their impact on the state’s economy, plus detailed results from New Mexico’s appearance as a float in the Tournament of Roses Parade and other projects.

“Nearly 20 million domestic travelers visited New Mexico in the first nine months of 2005, an increase of 11.6 percent when compared to the same period last year,” Secretary Cerletti said. “That equates to 18.6 percent more day visitors and nearly 5 percent more overnight visitors in 2005, compared to 2004, plus 9.5-percent more leisure travelers and almost 20 percent more business travelers.

The Secretary said these new figures – compiled by the Tourism Industry Association of America and Shifflet and Associates – are the result of what the tourism industry agrees “is a much better way of tracking actual tourism numbers.” He said the old method did not accurately track day trips, vital to the industry in New Mexico.”

“These figures mean the New Mexico tourism is a $4.95 billion-dollar-a-year industry. And we can also say with confidence that thanks to major new marketing efforts, our industry is headed in the right direction,” the Secretary said. In addition, NMTD’s nine New Mexico Visitor Information Centers hosted a record 1,071,553 visitors in 2005, up nearly 4 percent over last year at the VICs; and for the first time ever, visitor sessions to the Tourism Department web site topped the one-million mark for a quarter – the final three months of 2005.

The Secretary said the state’s appearance in the Tournament of Roses Parade “was a phenomenal success in every way imaginable,” and gave the state “a rare opportunity to become a major player in the Southern California tourism market. By taking New Mexico’s message of enchantment to California, the estimated advertising value may be “immeasurable.”

Nearly 40 million Americans in 16.5 million households tuned in to watch the 2006 Rose Parade live on nine national and international television networks. The Parade was also broadcast live in 150 countries and territories. That equates to an advertising value to the New Mexico tourism industry of $1.1 million. The cost to place a one-minute national ad during the parade was $150,000, while the cost per minute in the Los Angeles area alone was $100,000 per minute.

The Pasadena Police Department estimates that approximately one million spectators viewed the Parade in person, and 70,000 visitors attended the Post Parade Float Viewing Area where the floats were on display for nearly two days following the Rose Parade.

The Department also realized additional advertising value by leveraging parade and Rose Bowl game tickets in a number of marketing efforts, including: contest winners in New Mexico, Southern California and Texas; live ESPN Radio broadcasts from Austin Texas; direct mail campaigns in Texas and California, home states of the two college football teams that battled for the national championship and the number one and number two external states providing visitors to New Mexico; the insertion of 40,000 copies of a special Hello New Mexico in the game day edition of the Los Angeles Times; sponsorship participation of the Texas Longhorn Bash in Century City the day before the Rose Bowl Game, where nearly 10,000 Texans celebrated its university’s appearance in the game; and four media events targeting Southern California-based travel and news writers and travel agents.

“We are encouraged by the latest figures from our fulfillment center in Grants that responds to requests from the public for information on New Mexico,” the Secretary said. “From January 1st to today, the center received 2,240 requests from Californians, an increase of almost 17 percent compared to the same period last year.”

In addition to he annual lighting of the Capitol Christmas Tree – including its six-day tour of New Mexico and its cross-country journey to Washington, D.C. from New Mexico – NMTD took part in a number of major events for the first time in 2005, including the first ever Chihuahua, Mexico Balloon Festival; Independence Day Celebrations in Dallas; the New Mexico Amigos trip with the Governor to Kansas City, Memphis and St. Louis; and the Denton, Texas Arts and Crafts Show.

For the third year in a row, NMTD attended and exhibited at the Texas State Fair, the world-famous Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah and the upcoming South by Southwest film and music festival in Austin.

“We are also looking forward to working with the Governor’s Office on two exciting new initiatives,” Secretary Cerletti said: “New Mexico’s $5 million dollar imaging campaign; and, with our friends in the Department of Economic Development, on the X-Prize Cup and the new Space Port, which will welcome new visitors to our state from this world and beyond. Both initiatives present incredible opportunities for us to reach markets previously through unattainable.”

The Secretary added, “We cannot, however, rest on our laurels. This is also a time for creative thinking in our industry. Faced with record-high gas prices and increased competition for the tourism dollar from our neighboring states, we must continue to market efficiently and appropriately. And we should never forget that our most important market is our neighbor down the road. Our fellow citizens too often take for granted their home state’s many treasures. We need to help them enjoy at home what millions of people travel so far to experience.”

January 31, 2006   Posted in: United States West