Tourism generated by advertising

State columnist

link Tom McDonald

Since moving to New Mexico a decade ago, I’ve had a lot of family and friends come out for a visit, and they’re often quite curious about this land and its people.

On such occasions, I like to play tour guide, taking my visitors around to see various historic and cultural sites, all while bending their ears with what I’ve learned over the years about my adopted state and its citizenry.

My visitors are often impressed with the many unique features — both geographic and cultural — this state has to offer. A few times people have used my home as a base for them to explore the area more thoroughly.

I guess that’s my contribution to the state’s tourism industry, which is big business in New Mexico. In fact, in some small towns, it’s just about the only business remaining. All over the state, tourism generates a considerable amount of economic activity, and it’s been growing.

According to the state Tourism Department, tourism itself is a $6 billion industry in New Mexico, creating 88,600 jobs statewide, including 4,900 new jobs over the past five years. And, for state and local government coffers, it generates more than $600 million a year in tax revenues.

Monique Jacobson has been New Mexico’s secretary of tourism since 2011. She told me the state’s recent marketing campaign to attract tourists to the state is getting a 3-to-1 return on investment. With an $8.6 million advertising budget, the state has been marketing itself in Dallas, Phoenix, Houston, Chicago, San Diego, New York and Denver — with plans to go into the San Francisco market next year.

She said the Tourism Department has moved from a provider of services to the industry to a “tourism generating department … and the way you’re going to generate tourism is by advertising.”

“Adventure steeped in culture” has become the theme for all this advertising.

I asked her what she’d like to say to New Mexico’s small towns that want to get their share of the tourism dollars.

“Put yourself in the mind of the traveler,” she said. “Think about what makes your community unique … unique from their day-to-day experiences.”

That makes sense. I think I’ll try thinking that way for my next batch of visitors — right after I clean the house.

Tom McDonald is editor of the New Mexico Community News Exchange. Contact him at:

tmcdonald@

gazettemediaservices.com