Enchantment State News

New Mexico is considering a $25 million stimulus for the state's tourism industry that would go out in 2022, based on a proposal by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham. 

The current 2020 tourism losses for the state are estimated at $4.3 billion, or approximately 172 times the stimulus proposed for two years from now.

Grisham's office claims that such a package implemented two years from now will shorten the timeline for the industry's recovery, according to a press release from Grisham's office.

“In both rural and urban communities, tourism offers entrepreneurs a path to create opportunity for their families and offers communities of all sizes a reliable building block for their own economic recovery strategy,” Grisham said in the release. “This economic stimulus package for the tourism industry will expedite our state’s efforts to diversify our economy and get back on track. I couldn’t be prouder of the resilience of this industry during this incredibly difficult year. We will build back better than ever before, and I will be with you, in your corner, the entire way.”

Jen Paul Schroer, Grisham's cabinet secretary for tourism, said that the state anticipates a competitive tourism market once COVID-19 is eased.

“New Mexico has a strategic advantage coming out of COVID-19 due to its strong outdoor recreation assets and abundance of open spaces," Schroer said in the release. "However, this advantage cannot be realized if New Mexico is not competitive with other states actively investing stimulus funds for tourism promotion.”

The tourism industry will be at the center of any future economic recovery in the state, according to Jenny Kimball, the Tourism Commission chair. 

“Tourism is a central fixture of New Mexico’s economy, and comprehensive economic recovery for our state’s economy cannot occur without support for the tourism industry,” Kimball, who also chairs the La Fonda on the Plaza Board, said.