Albuquerque Tourism Marketing District

The Albuquerque Tourism Marketing District has been a game changer for our city’s accommodations and hospitality industry. By adding a 2% assessment to the guest checkout folio at properties located within the District, the ATMD has provided a vital new source of funding to market Albuquerque as a destination.

Albuquerque faces intense competition from other cities for leisure travelers and convention business, and many of those cities have much larger marketing budgets. The ATMD presents an opportunity to invest in Albuquerque’s future and position it as a top destination. Learn more about the ATMD below, and keep in touch with us for ways show your support of renewing the ATMD.

See answers to FAQ about the Tourism Marketing District here.

WHAT IS A TOURISM MARKETING DISTRICT?

A business coalition that allows lodging properties to organize their efforts to increase the city’s tourism marketing, which in turn increases demand for overnight stays.
A powerful economic development tool that generates revenue and creates jobs in more than 210 U.S. cities, including Albuquerque.
A source of stable, ongoing revenue for tourism promotion.

Why does the ATMD need to be renewed, and what is the renewal process?

The initial District was established for a five-year term, which is set to expire on June 30, 2027. The process to renew the District will begin in mid-2026, and it requires 51% of lodging properties to approve continuation of the ATMD. Upon approval, the second term of the ATMD would begin on July 1, 2027, for a term length determined by the lodging businesses.

HOW IS OUR TMD FUNDED?

The Albuquerque TMD is funded through a 2% assessment on certain stays at approximately 140 lodging properties located within the District boundary. The assessment is paid by guests at check-out and does not reduce a lodging establishment’s average daily rate. The assessment increases the total fees on the guest’s checkout folio from 13.875% to 15.625%, as shown below:

Combined state and local gross receipts tax	7.625%
Lodgers’ tax	5.0%
Hospitality fee	1.0%
Proposed TMD assessment	2.0%

At 15.625%, Albuquerque’s total guest checkout fee is below the national average total of 15.9% for a city of our size.

HOW DOES THE TMD BENEFIT LODGING PROPERTIES AND THE COMMUNITY?

ATMD funds are spent on sales, marketing, communications, visitor services enhancements and destination development projects that directly benefit the assessed lodging businesses. By providing funds for marketing and sales efforts, visitor services enhancements and destination development projects, the Albuquerque TMD has helped us to:

Raise awareness of our city’s diverse culture, rich heritage and unique events.
Attract leisure travelers, sporting events and meetings.
Increase demand for overnight stays at assessed lodging businesses.
Create jobs in the hospitality industry.
Generate revenue for the city’s hospitality industry, retail sector, and arts and cultural sectors.
Lead economic growth and help revitalize and diversify our economy.

Quotes From Hoteliers About the Creation of the Tourism Marketing District

Jim Long

Founder & CEO, Heritage Hotels & Resorts

“The travel and hospitality industry are perfectly positioned to contribute directly to the strong economic future of the city by building on tourism demand that will result in job creation and visitor spending... These funds will be instrumental to rebuilding Albuquerque’s reputation and marketing the city in a landscape where every destination will be competing for travelers’ attention, and the need has never been more urgent.”

Deepesh Kholwadwala

Chief Executive , Sun Capital Hotels

“Now, more than ever, we need to ramp-up marketing to attract visitors to our great city. The creation of ATMD provides the much-needed life-blood funding to make us competitive. Increase in tourism leads to a stronger economy, and that equates to higher quality of life for our valuable workforce, and a higher valuation of our homes and businesses.”

Steve Grant

Owner, Downtown Historic Bed & Breakfast

“This opportunity to increase Albuquerque’s investment in tourism marketing mirrors the commitment to investing in the future of our city, while also getting locals back to work as more visitors return.”

Sean Jariwala

Managing Partner, Ambica Hospitality LLC

“In addition to increasing the reach and frequency of marketing messages, we hope these new resources will also have the capability to push Albuquerque into new markets we haven’t been able to previously consider.”

Tushar Patel

President/CEO, TNG Group of Companies

“I believe that this is the ideal time and a great opportunity to market our city to tourists and showcase our beautiful outdoor space and weather. The ATMD will enhance the ability of the city to promote these assets.”

Karl Holme

Executive Director, Greater Albuquerque Hotel & Lodging Association

“The ATMD will increase funds for tourism and conventions marketing, which is what drives the visitation that generates tax dollars to fund the city’s essential services, supports thousands of direct hospitality jobs and attracts billions in visitor spending.”

Todd Walters

Vice President of Operations, Legacy Development & Management

“Tourism is a competitive industry and appropriate funding is imperative. Funding utilized by the ATMD is sourced from the travelers coming into Albuquerque, not taxes on Albuquerque residents. Destination promotion is an essential investment in the quality of life of all residents in our community.”