The New Mexico Tourism Department revealed the 2017 New Mexico travel and tourism numbers during an announcement ceremony at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center in Albuquerque. Governor Susana Martinez and Tourism Secretary Rebecca Latham reported an increase in visitation and job creation for the 6th consecutive year. Here are the highlights from the 2017 numbers:
- New Mexico saw 35.4 million trips in 2017, an increase by 1 million trips from 2016 and an increase of more than 5.6 million trips since 2010.
- New Mexico saw a 3.3 percent increase in overnight trips compared to 2016. The national average increase over the same time period was 2.1 percent.
- Sixty-five percent of overnight trips to New Mexico were out-of-state visitors in 2017.
- 1,700 jobs in leisure and hospitality were added to the New Mexico economy in 2017, and over 17,000 jobs in leisure and hospitality were added to the New Mexico economy since 2011.