Recovery Roadmap

RELIEF

If the COVID-19 pandemic has affected your business or nonprofit’s ability to make ends meet, investigate the following options for financial assistance. Be sure to check eligibility requirements and follow application instructions.

FEDERAL ASSISTANCE

• SBA Paycheck Protection Program
• SBA Disaster Loan Assistance
• IRS Coronavirus Relief for Taxpayers

STATE ASSISTANCE

• NMEDD Business Loan Guarantee Program
• NMSBIC Small Business Loans
• New Mexico Recovery Fund

GRANT OPPORTUNITIES FOR NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS

• Albuquerque Community Foundation and United Way of Central New Mexico Emergency Action Fund
• All Together New Mexico Fund

REOPENING

Reopening is on everyone’s minds, but it must be done safely. Since the outbreak of COVID-19, the tourism and hospitality industry has reexamined safety measures. As locals and visitors express the desire to get out of their homes and back into your business, it’s important to be prepared to welcome guests safely and to ensure you, your employees, and your customers are safe.

BEST PRACTICES FOR SAFE REOPENING

• Develop a Written Plan 
  • Writing a plan can show that you have thought through risks in advance. A plan can also convey that you care about your customers, staff, and others.
• Follow Your Plan
  • Make sure you’re following your plan. It’s one thing to say you don’t want your employees to come to work if they are sick. It’s another thing to follow through with it.
• Communicate the plan to your employees
  • Meet with your staff and talk about the new procedures 
  • Explain the importance of the new procedures
  • Allow staff to ask questions to make sure they understand it fully
  • Rehearse proper cleaning techniques with staff members
• Communicate what you’re doing to prepare for reopening to customers. This can go a long way in reassuring them that it is safe to return.
  • Use your social media or email newsletters to show what you’re doing (videos of you or staff cleaning; show photos of staff wearing Personal Protective Equipment)
  • Develop signage to reinforce the new rules – this will remind customers as well as employees

As restrictions begin to be lifted, here are some ideas that your business might want to think about as you prepare to reopen. In addition to these considerations, businesses should always follow official government guidelines or regulations. These suggestions are not an all-encompassing list, and are presented only as a way to start conversations with your management team about adjustments you might consider.

• Place signs in your lobby or entrance to remind guests and customers about social distancing protocols.
• Set occupancy limits for the number of individuals allowed on the premises.
• Rearrange furniture in lobby/public areas to allow more space between people.
• Place hand sanitizing stations at entrances.
• Clean public areas more frequently. Frequency will vary depending how heavy customer and employee traffic is.
• Sanitize high-touch areas (door knobs/handles, elevator buttons, photocopier machine buttons, light switches, cash registers, credit card readers) more frequently. Frequency will vary depending on how heavily these items are used at the business.
• Ask employees who have frequent contact with guests or customers to wear masks if social distancing is not possible.
• Require employees to practice hygiene protocols (frequent hand washing, keep hands away from face, etc.)
• Require employees to stay home when they are ill.

Here is a vetted list of specific guidelines based on the type of business you operate:

STATE OF NEW MEXICO - COVID-SAFE PRACTICES (CSPs)

The Governor's Office has identified universal CSPs that businesses are asked to follow, but there are sector-specific CSPs that tourism businesses are also asked to follow in order to comply with the public health order and offer service to guests in a safe and responsible manner. Sector-specific CSPs along with the master document are listed below:

• Complete document
• CSPs - All Employers
• CSPs - Hotels, Resorts and Lodging
• CSPs - Tour Operators
• CSPs - Restaurants*
• CSPs - Retail
• CSPs - Golf Courses

​CSPs for other sectors of the tourism industry, such as events, casinos, museums and entertainment venues, will be published at a later date.

*Although restaurant CSPs are included in the master document, they are not yet permitted to operate dine-in service per the public health order. CSPs for restaurants were included in these guidelines to provide restaurant owners with advance notice so they can make the proper preparations for when restaurants are allowed to open.

GENERAL

• U.S. Travel Association Guidance for Health and Safety of All Travelers
• CDC Guidance for Businesses and Employers
• OSHA Guidance on Preparing Workplaces
• Main Street America Reopening Safely Helpful Tips for Small Business Owners
• New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions: Back-to-Work Guidance

RESTAURANTS

• Reopening Guidance from the National Restaurant Association
• U.S. Food & Drug Administration Best Practices for Retail Food Stores, Restaurants, and Food Pick-Up/Delivery Services
• U.S. Food & Drug Administration Best Practices for Re-Opening Retail Food Establishments
• New Mexico Restaurant Association Fact Sheet on Responsible Restaurant Reopening
• Restaurant Reopening Checklist from New Mexico Environment Department

HOTELS & LODGING

• American Hotel & Lodging Association’s “Stay Safe” Guidelines
• American Hotel & Lodging Association’s COVID-19 Operations FAQs

RETAIL STORES

• National Retail Federation “Operation Open Doors” Checklist

GOLF COURSES

• National Golf Course Owners Association Coronavirus Protocols Park & Play Program

RESILIENCE

Local Business Resources

We encourage you to visit our COVID-19 Partner Resources page for information on City and State updates, marketing best practices, resources for financial assistance, and a list of additional industry and business resources. We will be updating this page as more information becomes available. 

Visit Albuquerque is also tracking business and event updates and sharing them with the community as we receive notifications. 

Please see the following pages for more information:

• Business Updates
• Restaurant Updates
  • Submit Your Restaurant
• Retail Business Updates
  • Submit Your Retail Business
• Event Updates
• Explore Virtual ABQ

We will make daily updates to these pages to ensure they are as comprehensive as possible. We also invite you to submit additional information for inclusion on our lists.

Typsy Online Training

Visit Albuquerque has partnered with Typsy, an international leader in online training, to offer our Partners free access to a Netflix-style library of 700+ expert-led video lessons designed exclusively for our industry. The lessons cover topics including hotel operations, food and beverage operations, business and finance, culinary skills, compliance, management and leadership, customer service and much more.

When you are ready to sign up, make sure to choose the Typsy Pro Monthly Plan. The regular cost of this plan will be completely waived until September 30, 2020 when you enter the code COVID19 at checkout.  

Click Here to Register

Visit ABQ On-Demand Training "Digital Marketing During COVID-19: Part 1"

The team at Visit Albuquerque has put together a two-part, on-demand digital marketing workshop for our Partners during this uncertain time. 

This pre-recorded, on-demand workshop is made for local marketers and business owners who know they need to make adjustments to their digital strategy, as well as anyone seeking opportunities to generate more brand awareness and business fluidity during these trying times. 

This is the first part of a two-part series on digital marketing, focusing on general strategies and examples.

The on-demand digital marketing workshop is free! 

Register and Watch Now

Visit ABQ On-Demand Training "Digital Marketing During COVID-19: Part 2"

This is the second part of a two-part series on digital marketing. This pre-recorded, on-demand workshop dives into more detail on digital marketing tactics including Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Search Engine Marketing (SEM) and social media advertising.  

Register and Watch Part 2 Now

Visit ABQ National Travel & Tourism Week Virtual Open House 

On Thursday, May 7, over 100 Partners joined us for our Visit ABQ Virtual Open House and National Travel and Tourism Week webinar. Because in-person rallies and events that have been hallmarks of National Travel and Tourism Week in years past were not an option this year, Visit Albuquerque wanted to celebrate with partners in a way that continued moving the industry forward with early recovery discussions. 

Cainan Harris, General Manager of the Hyatt Regency Albuquerque and Visit Albuquerque's Board of Directors Chair, shared a message of appreciation and support to the frontline workers who are providing essential services in this difficult time.

The webinar included a presentation on current industry research and travel sentiment, as well as an update from New Mexico's Cabinet Secretary of Tourism Jen Paul Schroer on the plan for reopening the state. 

The program also included updates on Visit Albuquerque’s current sales, marketing and communications efforts, which are focused on positioning the city to welcome back visitors when the time is right.

Watch the Recorded Webinar Now

Visit ABQ Global Meetings Industry Day Virtual Open House 

On Tuesday, April 14, Visit Albuquerque hosted a live webinar update from on Global Meetings Industry Day. You can watch the recording of the update and virtual open house now. The live webinar included the following topics and takeaways:

• Recognition of Global Meetings Industry Day
• Update on Visit ABQ’s efforts on behalf of our partners
• Overview of the resources available to our partners
• Research regarding the effects and implications of COVID-19 on the hospitality industry
• Opportunity to engage with our team and ask us your questions

Watch the Recorded Webinar Now 

The New Mexico Safe Certified Program

The state’s hospitality industry has announced the launch of the New Mexico Safe Certified program, an initiative that trains business owners and managers in COVID-Safe Practices in order to help ensure that New Mexico is the safest state in the Southwest for employees, residents, customers and guests. The program offers free, on-demand training courses for the following hospitality businesses:

• Hotels and lodging
• Restaurants
• Golf courses
• Tour operators
• Retailers
• Spas and salons

Demonstrate Your Commitment to Safety

Each course consists of short video lessons that review the COVID-Safe Practices (CSPs) issued by the State of New Mexico, providing guidance on best practices, compliance and implementation. After completing the course, the viewer takes a brief quiz to ensure understanding. A hospitality business can earn NM Safe Certification when its management team has completed all required courses and passed the quizzes.

Tourism-related businesses that have earned NM Safe Certification are listed in a directory and receive other benefits, including:

• The right to display the NM Safe Certified seal on your website and decal at your location
• Access to the NM Safe Certified Toolkit, which includes useful samples and templates
• Admission to the Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Procurement Collective
• A digital advertising credit worth up to $2,000 toward the purchase of a digital media package with New Mexico magazine through Jan. 31, 2021

You’ve Taken the Promise; Now It’s Time to Get Certified

You might be wondering how the NM Safe Certified program differs from the NM Safe Promise campaign announced earlier this month. The two efforts are designed to support and complement each other. By making the Safe Promise, New Mexicans pledge to take individual actions that keep themselves and others safe, such as wearing a face covering and staying six feet apart while in public. By earning NM Safe Certification, businesses demonstrate that they have completed training on the CSPs and are dedicated to following best practices in their business operations. Visit Albuquerque encourages our Partners to participate in both programs in order to instill confidence in residents, customers, clients and guests as the state reopens for travel, recreation and business.

Get Certified 

RECOVERY

At Visit Albuquerque, we know our marketing efforts will play a key role in assisting the hospitality industry’s recovery. This is a responsibility we take very seriously. Below, we are sharing some of our marketing plans so that businesses in the local hospitality industry know what types of leisure travelers to expect during the early recovery stage. We hope this information will help you prepare for reopening and for serving your future customers and guests. Note that these plans are preliminary and will evolve based on our analysis of industry data, traveler behavior and official guidelines from governmental authorities.

Taking Advantage of Pent-Up Demand for Travel

Visit Albuquerque has been closely monitoring traveler sentiment as well as anticipated restrictions for what reopening will look like locally, and we’re using that information to develop data-driven marketing decisions for recovery.

For example, data confirms that there is pent-up demand for travel. Research shows that more than 70% of Americans miss travel and are excited to start traveling again as soon as it is safe.

Throughout the stay-at-home period, Visit Albuquerque kept in touch with leisure travelers via social media, our website and email marketing. Our messages focused on keeping travelers dreaming about Albuquerque as we provided them with favorite New Mexican recipes to cook at home, ways to explore the city virtually through 360-degree videos, and links to cultural treasures from local museums and performing arts groups.

As travel restrictions are lifted and the hospitality industry re-opens, we will begin shifting our marketing messages toward encouraging travelers to plan a visit. The timeline for our marketing campaigns will follow the lead of governmental authorities to ensure safe visitation.

Our Target Audiences: Drive Markets, Early Travelers and Staycations

Initially, we will focus our efforts on audiences in drive markets – those are people who are looking for a destination that’s within driving distance of their home. Again, this decision is based on data, as research shows that about 50% of Americans don’t feel comfortable getting on an airplane yet.

Americans’ reluctance to fly also expands our definition of the drive market. Traditionally our drive market has been the states immediately bordering New Mexico, but we will investigate advertising in markets farther afield, such as Southern California, because data shows that travelers are more willing to drive longer distances rather than being in airports or on planes. With Historic Route 66 running through the middle of our city, Albuquerque is perfectly positioned to take advantage of road trips.

As far as the demographics of our target audiences, we will direct our initial messaging to slightly younger audiences, because we know that they are likely to be the first to begin traveling again. We’ll reach single travelers, couples, and families with children, knowing that older populations might be slower to return to travel due to health concerns.

And finally, we will promote staycations that encourage Albuquerque residents and people from nearby communities to spend their travel money locally to support the local hospitality industry.

Initial Messaging

Our first advertisements will focus on outdoor recreation, as research shows that a majority of travelers plan to avoid crowded destinations. Albuquerque is fortunate to have an abundance of trails and open spaces where people can practice social distancing. Potential ads will feature golf, hiking, rock climbing, mountain biking and other types of outdoor adventure. We’ll encourage visitors to stay, shop and dine while taking advantage of our outdoors and our great weather.

We will watch keyword searches and website traffic, and as people get more comfortable with traveling again, we will begin to expand our advertising to feature Albuquerque’s arts, culture, and attractions. We’ll highlight Albuquerque’s affordability, since price is a factor in times of economic uncertainty, and we’ll also emphasize ways the local tourism industry is following safety protocols in their operations.

At the same time, we’ll encourage visitors to do their part in being responsible travelers when they come to our city.

Depending on budget, our advertising channels will include commercials on Internet-connected devices that stream television programming, banner ads and video spots on websites, paid social media, and print advertisements.