Visit Albuquerque Highlights Success of the Tourism Industry at 2018 Annual Meeting

During our Annual Meeting held at the Hyatt Regency Albuquerque on August 28, Visit Albuquerque celebrated one of the strongest years of marketing Albuquerque as a visitor, convention and sports destination in its 38-year history, announcing an all-time high for employment in the leisure and hospitality industry, the most citywide meeting and event bookings occurring in a single year and record-breaking lodgers’ tax collections, which topped $13 million for fiscal year 2018—a 7.3 percent increase over FY17.

Visit Albuquerque President & CEO Tania Armenta and Board of Directors Chair Cynthia Stanley welcomed more than 325 tourism and business professionals to the event to hear remarks from Mayor Tim Keller, City Council President Ken Sanchez and Visit Albuquerque leadership.

We thanked Cynthia Stanley for her year of service as our strong and steady chair while she shared her heartfelt enthusiasm for Visit Albuquerque and our destination.  Attendees also heard from Visit Albuquerque’s new board chair, Jim Gay, who is the Regional Director for New Mexico Sports and Wellness. Jim’s wit and passion for Albuquerque were evident in his brief and entertaining self-introduction.

“Tourism is a core component of our economic development and is what’s been lifting up ABQ over the last several years,” said Mayor Tim Keller. “Albuquerque is home to unmatched natural beauty, one-of-a-kind New Mexican cuisine, a fascinating cultural history and is a city that is unique on a level that very few other cities in America can compete with—that’s our competitive advantage. Visit Albuquerque works to share all of those things that make our city special, and that’s why I’m so optimistic in regards to the work they’re doing, and excited for what’s to come.”

“Travel and tourism is big business for Albuquerque, and continues to be a very bright spot for the city,” said Tania Armenta, President & CEO of Visit Albuquerque. “The successes and data touted today underline what a vital economic engine travel and tourism is for the Albuquerque area, and we look forward to working together to build on this positive momentum as we move into the next fiscal year.”

Read the full release here.

Visit ABQ Works with AED to Feature Albuquerque in September 2018 Intelligence Report

Albuquerque Economic Development, Inc. (AED) recently announced a special initiative with Conway, Inc., the publisher of Site Selection Magazine, to feature the Albuquerque metro area in the September 2018 Intelligence Report.

Visit Albuquerque took advantage of this great opportunity for our community to share our story about the many assets that make Albuquerque a great choice for business investment by purchasing an accompanying ad. “New Mexico is a breeding ground for ingenuity, producing some of the most meaningful scientific and technological breakthroughs in history. We have the spirit of creative disruption and intuitively understand the unique and powerful interplay of culture and technology. Our distinct quality of place helps us attract the best and brightest talent, and we can’t wait to tell more people about it in this special report.” - AED

See Visit Albuquerque’s half page ad in the special section here.

SOMOS ABQ Features Community, Art, Tech and Music Downtown

Thousands flocked to the streets of Downtown Albuquerque on August 25, 2018 for cultural celebration at the second annual SOMOS ABQ. The event, which features music, food and art installations, is put on each year in a union and celebration of Albuquerque’s arts, culture and community. SOMOS ABQ showcases some of the very best Albuquerque has to offer and featured world-class entertainment, food vendors and local restaurants, a huge variety of art installations, entrepreneurs, technology companies and new tech innovations, and much more.

Visit ABQ Announces Sweepstakes Winners

In our work to promote Albuquerque as a destination, Visit ABQ has recently wrapped up several sweepstakes opportunities, made possible in collaboration with many of our partners.

Strike a Chord with Culture in ABQ:

This music-themed trip included a custom-made Pimentel guitar, two nights at Hotel Albuquerque, admission to Tablao Flamenco Albuquerque, passes to the Sandia Peak Aerial Tramway, and one $500 Visa gift card for gas, airfare or shopping.

Out of 3,580 entries received, the winner is Jack F. from Churchville, NY!

SOMOSABQ:

This event-focused trip included two nights for four people at the Hyatt Regency Albuquerque, admission for four to SOMOSABQ, passes for four to the Sandia Peak Aerial Tramway, and a $200 Visa gift card to be used for gas, airfare or shopping.

Out of 509 entries received, the winner was Mark H. from Glendale, AZ!

2018 Balloon Fiesta:

This hot air balloon experience and Albuquerque trip includes three night hotel accommodations, a hot air balloon ride with Rainbow Ryders, two day admission to the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta with VIP access to the Gondola Club Hospitality Suite, a two pack of tickets to the ABQ Trolley Co city tour, admission to the Anderson Abruzzo Albuquerque International Balloon Museum, two official Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta jackets, and a $200 Visa gift card to be used for gas, airfare or shopping.

Out of 20,948 entries received, the winner is Cecy M. from El Paso, TX!

A Record Breaking Year for Albuquerque Tourism

In addition to the incredible announcement of an all-time high for employment in the leisure and hospitality industry, the most citywide meeting and event bookings occurring in a single year and record-breaking lodgers’ tax collections; Visit ABQ is also thrilled to report increases in hotel performance, with hotel occupancy up 2.3 percent and average daily rate up 2 percent calendar year-to-date through July 2018, according to STR (formerly known as Smith Travel Research). Regarding passenger traffic at the Albuquerque International Sunport, there has been a 13.2 percent increase of all passengers January through June 2018 year-over-year (calendar year to-date).

Visit Albuquerque also saw successes through marketing efforts for FY18. The organization’s PR team was involved with over 1,450 articles about the city with the potential to reach over 2.3 billion people and an estimated publicity value of over $9 million. Visit ABQ’s social media efforts continue to pay off with an increased following of 9.4 percent over FY17 across Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

Additional key visitor data for FY18 include:

• An increase in overall bookings, due in part to the success of the new Albuquerque Regional Sports Complex.

  • 55 citywide meetings and events were secured, the highest number ever, and of which 23 were new citywide bookings, meaning they hadn’t occurred in Albuquerque within the last three years.

  • 221,228 total room nights were booked for the future, an increase of 3.3 percent over FY17. These bookings also account for the second-highest year in estimated direct spending.

  • 347 total conventions/meetings and sporting events were booked, up 7.4 percent from FY17.

• Group tour rooms nights were up 13 percent from the previous fiscal year.

• Visit Albuquerque’s Albuquerque Concierge Excellence (ACE) training program has trained more than 1,000 participants since the program’s inception in 2009.

Overall the travel and tourism industry in Albuquerque has experienced great success as one of the strongest contributors to the city’s economy. As one of the largest private industries in the city, the tourism industry in Albuquerque:

• Generates more than $2 billion annually

• Employs over 43,000 people in Albuquerque, the highest employment ever for the leisure and hospitality industry

• Brings approximately 6.2 million visitors to the city each year, which generates about $69 million in local taxes

Read the full release here.

Visit ABQ at ASAE Annual Meeting

The Hyatt Regency Albuquerque, Doubletree by Hilton Hotel Albuquerque and the Sheraton Albuquerque Airport Hotel successfully partnered with Visit Albuquerque to attend the American Society of Association Executives 2018 Annual Meeting and Exposition August 18-21, in Chicago.  ASAE is where thousands of association professionals and industry partners gather to exchange time, resources, strategies and solutions.

Visit ABQ at Connect Marketplace in Salt Lake City

Representatives from the Visit Albuquerque sales team attended Connect Marketplace in Salt Lake City August 23-25. The team conducted over 90 one-on-one appointments with meeting planners and sports tournament organizers over two days. Additionally, Visit Albuquerque co-hosted a cocktail reception with Visit Madison and the Providence Convention & Visitors Bureau for prospective clients. We were delighted that representatives from Hotel Albuquerque, Hotel Chaco and the Sheraton Uptown were in attendance at the event.

Albuquerque Hosts the National Veterans Golden Age Games

Albuquerque was proud to host the National Veterans Golden Age Games August 3-8. The Games are the premier senior adaptive rehabilitation program in the United States, and the only national multi-event sports and recreational seniors’ competition program designed to improve the quality of life for all older Veterans. Over 1,000 athletes, age 55 or older, participated in the 2018 games.

American Indian Tourism Conference Coming to Albuquerque

The American Indian Alaska Native Tourism Association (AIANTA) is hosting their 20th Annual American Indian Tourism Conference (AITC) at Isleta Resort & Casino this week, bringing the conference back to the Albuquerque area 20 years after the conference's inception here. AITC is the only national conference on tourism dedicated to Native America. Visit Albuquerque will be in attendance and will be presenting an educational session on working with the media in travel and tourism. We hope to see you there! Find out more about the conference at www.aitc2018.com.

Visit ABQ’s VP of Sales Kristin McGrath Featured in Meetings Today

Visit Albuquerque’s Vice President of Sales, Kristin McGrath, was featured this month in Meetings Today in the article, “Q&A: Kristin and Erin McGrath (Sisters Working in the Hospitality Industry.” The story, in which Kristin was interviewed with her sister, Erin McGrath (also a hospitality industry professional) focused on the positive impact the McGrath sisters are making in the hospitality and tourism industry. We encourage you to read the full story in Meetings Today.