Visit Albuquerque prohibits users from downloading images from our website.
Please use our media library for downloadable images and usage rights.As 2020 comes to a close, we are reminded of the value of community and how grateful we are for your partnership. We encourage you to continue to support “small and local” throughout the holiday season and embrace the businesses and organizations that make Albuquerque truly unique. We continue to move forward with optimism and resilience for the approaching New Year, and hope you will take time to rest, reflect and reset.
As you’ll read in this issue of Industry Insider, we are continuing to promote small business, collecting updated information for the 2021 Official Albuquerque Visitors Guide, and working to keep the city in the national spotlight through sponsorship of the 2020 New Mexico Bowl sponsorship and high-quality media coverage.
Thank you for being a Visit Albuquerque Partner, and we wish you a happy and healthy holiday season.
Tania Armenta
President & CEO
Visit Albuquerque
Noon on Friday, Dec. 18, is the deadline to apply for a CARES Relief Grant from the state of New Mexico. The program provides grants of up to $50,000 to eligible businesses. Small businesses in the hospitality and tourism industry will receive priority consideration for the grants, which do not have to be repaid.
To be eligible for a grant, a business must have 100 or fewer employees and must fall into one of the following categories:
Visit Albuquerque encourages our Partners that meet the eligibility criteria to apply. All grants under the program will be awarded by Dec. 30, 2020. Apply now!
While we look forward to welcoming the 2021 New Mexico Bowl back to its home in Albuquerque, this year’s New Mexico Bowl will be played in Frisco, Texas. In an effort to keep Albuquerque top-of-mind, Visit Albuquerque will sponsor the 2020 New Mexico Bowl. The sponsorship package includes two commercials to be broadcast during the game to ESPN’s national audience, two commercials on ESPN Radio, two in-stadium public address advertisements, and signage on the sidelines and in the stands. All promotions aim to highlight Albuquerque as a diverse, culturally rich destination with an emphasis on the wide variety of sporting activities the city has to offer. The 2020 New Mexico Bowl will air on Dec. 24 at 1:30 p.m. MST on ESPN and pit the University of Houston Cougars against the University of Hawaii Rainbow Warriors.
In addition to the 2020 Holiday Gift Guide which highlights local gift ideas, including eight categories and 19 subcategories, Visit Albuquerque is promoting small businesses on our Instagram stories @VisitABQ and @ABQ365 every Saturday through December. If you have any current promotions or unique offerings you’d like us to share, let us know by filling out this form.
Partners in most business categories receive a free listing in the Visitors Guide as a benefit of partnership. Listing update forms for the 2021 Visitors Guide were mailed Oct. 23 to partners that qualify. The final deadline is quickly approaching but there is still time! Be sure to follow the instructions and return your form with any updates before Dec. 28. Please contact Janice Pomeroy at pomeroy@visitabq.org if you have any questions or need another copy of your form.
The Albuquerque Sports Commission participated virtually in two high profile sports industry events earlier this month. Angela Gandy attended the EsportsTravel Summit; the Summit connects organizers of esports events and those in the travel and tourism industry who want to understand and profit from the esports phenomenon.
Angie Jepsen attended the USA Track & Field Annual Meeting, Dec. 3 through 6. Albuquerque has developed a reputation as one of the premier indoor track and field destinations in the United States and we continue to cultivate that good standing for additional opportunities.
On Dec. 15 and 16 Visit Albuquerque staff represented the destination at Association Forum’s Holiday Showcase. We had the opportunity to interact with over 400 registered association attendees in our virtual tradeshow booth. Additionally, we had over a dozen 15-minute appointments scheduled over the two-day event.
On Dec. 1, the City of Albuquerque opened the new Minority Business Development Center (MBDA). The Albuquerque MBDA Business Center offers services including client bid opportunity sourcing, help with certifications and registrations, lending and equity proposal packaging, capital lending access, strategic planning consultation, international trade assistance, and training. The Center is located within the offices of the Albuquerque Hispano Chamber of Commerce Barelas Economic Opportunity Center. The Center and its staff will maximize their impact by focusing on contract procurement in high growth sectors such as space technology, film and digital media, directed energy, smart technology and bioscience. Learn more here.
Visit Albuquerque was named a recipient of the 2020 Smart Meetings Platinum Choice Award. These awards honor top-ranked hotels, venues and destination marketing organizations that display the highest standards of overall excellence in service and amenities. In tune with the rapidly evolving climate of the industry, Visit Albuquerque continued to provide outstanding service by consistently going above and beyond to creatively work with and support clients and the meeting and events community. The organization also received this award in 2019, 2016, 2014 and 2013, and looks forward to welcoming meeting and event partners in the future.
The Visitor Information Center in Historic Old Town has reopened with new winter hours and COVID-safe practices and precautions in place. Visitors are currently not allowed to enter the information center, and are assisted from the front door with a shelving unit and plexiglass barrier with signage that reminds guests about face-covering and social distancing requirements. The current hours of operation are Thursday - Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. To ensure the safety of Visit Albuquerque volunteers, the center will be staffed only by Liz Burnam, Visit Albuquerque’s Visitor Services Manager, until further notice.
Albuquerque has received some major shoutouts from prominent and influential publications throughout 2020. With features on everything from the city's stretch of the Mother Road to green chile road trips, Albuquerque aligned with national media trends and ranked among some of the best travel destinations around the world this year. Read more about this year's media coverage.
The Official Albuquerque Visitors Guide is designed to inspire people who are planning to visit our beautiful city as well as those who have already made the trip and are looking for ideas about where to eat, shop and spend their time while they are here. The new edition of the guide, which will be distributed in Spring 2021, will focus on what travelers desire now: outdoor recreation, a city-wide commitment to welcoming guests safely and responsibly, and the opportunity to visit an exciting destination that offers distinctive art, culture, cuisine and history.
The guides are distributed through mail to those who request a copy, as well as to leisure and business travelers, meeting planners and event attendees. It will also be available at Visitor Information Centers throughout the state and in Amarillo, Texas, as well as the Albuquerque Sunport, museums, restaurants, lodging establishments and citywide attractions. An interactive digital version of the guide also is posted on the Visit Albuquerque website.
Being included in the Visitors Guide increases your exposure to the millions of visitors who travel to Albuquerque annually. Make sure visitors to our city know about your business! If you are interested in advertising in this publication, contact Mary Brown, 505-222-4310 or brown@visitabq.org.
A recent survey conducted by Destination Analysts confirmed that:
2021 Official Visitors Guide Brochure
2021 Official Visitors Guide Rate Card
One of your key benefits as a Partner of Visit Albuquerque is your business listing on our website. Travelers and residents alike count on our website for information about where to eat, shop, play and stay in Albuquerque.
As businesses begin to reopen, many of you are making changes to your business hours, operations, products, services and amenities. Make sure your customers, clients and guests know about these changes by updating your business listing on VisitABQ.org. It only takes three easy steps!
Use the link below to submit your updates.
If you have any questions, please contact us at listings@visitabq.org.
A new filter allows Tripadvisor users to sort lodging properties in order to view only those that are taking additional safety precautions related to COVID-19. This means it is important for your property to update its Tripadvisor listing as soon as possible. Access the safety checklist in your Tripadvisor Management Center and select which safety measures you have in place, such as mandatory face masks, additional sanitation procedures and social distancing policies. You also can submit a text description of the steps you are taking to protect customers.
www.tripadvisor.com/TripAdvisorInsights/w6853
We’re looking for images of COVID-safe practices in Albuquerque. Help us promote your business and Albuquerque in this new era by uploading your images of employees and customers wearing masks, socially distancing and participating in other COVID-safe practices. We might use your photo on social media, on our website or in other marketing materials to promote our city and our Partners. It’s easy to share your image; just click this link and drag and drop your images in our public uploader.
Click here to upload your image(s) now.
Visit Albuquerque’s ABQ365 Events Calendar offers a great opportunity to promote your virtual and COVID-safe events! The one-stop, all-ABQ encompassing calendar features primarily arts, entertainment and culture-focused events, appealing to both locals and visitors.
Virtual event listings offer a great opportunity for additional exposure and promotion, and can help keep your business top-of-mind – for free!
Click here to get started, and be sure to select the virtual events tag on the submission form.
Coupons can be a great way to drive traffic to your business. If you have a current coupon or special running, please submit it to us so we can list it on our Specials & Coupons page.
Click here to submit your current coupons and specials.
We know things are different right now. We want to help you share your new initiatives. If you are offering a new type of service or concept, a new product, or have anything else exciting or new going on, we want to hear about it! Send anything and everything to Media@VisitABQ.org.
Local
’Buy Local’ Push Picks Up Steam in NM During Shutdown - Albuquerque Journal
Find the Perfect Gifts With Help From Albuquerque Small Business Holiday Gift Guide 2020 - KRQE
National
The Best of the Mountain West - 5280 Denver's Magazine Online
Sunshine State of Mind - Travel + Leisure
8 of the Best Accessible Outdoor Adventures Around the World - Lonely Planet
The Best Affordable Sparkling Wines for New Year’s Eve - SmarterTravel
Painter Frederico Vigil Is Helping to Keep a 5,000-Year-Old Artform Alive - Departures Magazine
Congratulations to Rio Bravo Brewing Company for being named one of Albuquerque Business First’s finalists for Company of the Year. Finalists were selected from Albuquerque Business First’s Top 100 Private Companies List, published earlier this year. Read the article here.
Congratulations to Steel Bender Brewyard for being voted best local brewery in Albuquerque the Magazine’s Best of the City 2020. They were also recognized for their atmosphere and great customer service.
More than 100 Visit Albuquerque Partners have earned certification through the NM Safe Certified program, which verifies that their management team has been trained in COVID-Safe Practices. Check out all the businesses statewide that have earned the certification so far at nmsafecertified.org, and click here to start earning your certification today.
Bask in DIY ristra-making, recipes from local chefs, and a deep-dive into White Sands. We’ve been celebrating New Mexico since 1923 and haven’t stopped yet! Each month, our award-winning writers and photographers share the heartbeat of New Mexico, inspiring readers to taste, explore, and delight in the Land of Enchantment.
We’re offering Visit Albuquerque members a special rate to our one-year subscription. Use promo code IGAJ15 (that’s an “I” as in “incredible”) for a $15 deal, 70% off the cover price.
And, if you’re looking for a holiday gift, our 2021 calendars will charm artists and photography lovers alike. Supplies are limited, buy yours today!
Calling local brewery, entertainment and restaurant businesses to participate in a digital passport program developed to help local businesses with no cost to participate. The Unbelievable Pass will be the premier deals pass for Albuquerque and the perfect cure for cabin fever.
Email support@doabq.com for more information.
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