July 2021
Facebook Join My List Logo
INDUSTRY UPDATE
September 2021

Quick links for more information about articles or programs mentioned in this edition:

Tourism Department Workforce Needs Survey

Media Interview Regarding Industry Workforce Challenges

NMHA Career Board

Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta App


****************


Working to Get New Mexico Back to Work!

On September 20, NMHA was fortunate to have Secretary of Workforce Solutions, Ricky Serna, met with our Government Affairs Committee. NMHA will be working with the state to identify hiring and retention challenges and work together to create solutions. You can help with the process by completing the survey recently sent out by the Tourism Department to help assess specific hiring needs

View the Meeting Video Here
Passcode: F$=%3i8U


Complete the Survey


KRQE Interview re: Workforce Challenges



****************


2021 NMHA Conference Update


Thanks to all of your feedback we're working on some changes to the November conference. We'll be transitioning to a virtual educational series focusing on workforce challenges and advocacy in preparation for the 2022 Legislative Session. The series will also be a great tie-in to our 2022 TRENDS Conference, which is set for January 25, 2022 at the La Fonda on the Plaza. We'll be in touch soon with details.




AAHOA Generosity

On August 19, three Albuquerque police officers were shot in the line of duty. Our generous partners at AAHOA immediately went into action and raised more than $15,000 to help the officers and their families.

Congratulations to this amazing group of hoteliers for their demonstration of the generosity and commitment to community that makes our industry shine!
MEMBER SPOTLIGHT -

The Classic Desert Aire Hotel in Alamogordo is close to all the exciting activities of the region, including the New Mexico Museum of Space History, White Sands National Monument, the White Sands Missile Range, and the Trinity Site. Holloman Air Force Base is just 6 miles away.

Formerly known as The Magnuson, the Desert Aire offers a variety of room and suite styles to accommodate both leisure and business travelers.
Guests can take advantage of the complimentary carryout breakfast offered each morning, and after returning from an exciting day of sightseeing, can enjoy lounging on the sundeck or a dip in the seasonal outdoor pool. The hotel even recently added a dog wash to clean off traveling pups (perfect for washing off all the beautiful white sand!).

Whether visiting for business or pleasure, the Classic Desert Aire Hotel offers a safe, quiet, and peaceful stay with easy access to the many amazing attractions in the Tularosa Basin.


The Classic Desert Aire Hotel

____________________________


Assistance for Employees
Re-entering the Workplace -

If you have employees or potential new employees dealing with housing insecurity or childcare challenges, here are two programs that could be of assistance:

New Mexico's Emergency Rental Assistance Program - provides funds to assist households that are unable to pay rent and utilities due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

New Mexico Childcare Assistance Program - Eligibility for childcare assistance has doubled from 200 percent of the federal poverty level to as much as 400 percent. This will provide much needed support for working families and for workers looking to return to work.


_____________________________

Tis' the Season!

Balloon Fiesta is only days away, and NMHA member, Visit Albuquerque, is sponsoring the official mobile app for the 2021 Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta®! It has real-time updates about schedules and weather conditions, as well as helpful resources such as maps of the field and a roster of balloons and pilots. Users can even drop a pin to mark where they parked their car.  It's just another creative way to help visitors maximize their New Mexico experience!

The flyer below has QR codes that people can use to quickly find and install the app to their mobile device.
 
Download the Flyer!



NMHA Committees -

You can become more involved with the hospitality industry and shape the industry's future by serving on one of the NMHA Committees. Whether your expertise is in finance, communications, program development, event planning, or policy and advocacy work, you can support the Association and the industry by volunteering with our committees. Learn more about the different committees and where you can make an impact. If you're interested in serving on a committee, you can contact the Association at ceo@newmexicohospitality.org.
View Committees
The History of Hospitality
in New Mexico -

An excerpt from the April 1949 New Mexico Hotel Association minutes:

"The Director of the State Tourism Bureau spoke on the tourist business in New Mexico, and how it has grown since 1935, the inception at which time 900,000 tourists came to the state, and in 1949, 2,200,000 came into New Mexico. New Mexico has allotted the amount of $271,000 for the Tourist Bureau. This is the fifth largest allotment in the United States."

Fast forward 70+ years - New Mexico is still a premier travel destination, and NMHA is still advocating and educating policy makers about the importance of investing in tourism marketing at a level that will allow us to compete with our neighboring states. Join NMHA today, and add your voice to our important messaging!


Ensuring Your Voice is Heard -
NMHA continues to work to ensure that policy makers understand the importance of investing in the hospitality and tourism industry. Most recently, we sent a letter to the Lt. Governor outlining the importance of investing federal funds into our industry:


Rebuild Tourism - Revitalize the Economy

While the hospitality & tourism industry is starting to recover, there is still a lot of work to do.

Workforce Issues - The hospitality industry continues to deal with significant hiring challenges and worker shortages. To address these challenges, New Mexico needs to develop and fund programs (Tourism focused LEDA Programs, Job Training, Job Recruitment, etc.) that focus on getting people back to work in a safe manner. Competitive wages and hiring incentives have not fully resolved the issue, and every sector of Hospitality continues to struggle with hiring, training, and retention of workers. Though enhanced UI benefits have kept some from accepting work, other barriers include: a desire for flexible schedules; the need for training for workers who have changed industries; and the lack of access to reliable/affordable childcare. Hospitality and related businesses cannot return to full capacity until they have a workforce capable of fully staffing their consumer-focused service-based businesses. The industry does recognize the need to protect workers and will continue to take every precaution to protect them against COVID while providing other needed benefits. Continued state and local support is crucial to help the industry rebuild. This support should include:
·      Getting federal aid dollars out into the communities so they can work to attract visitors and encourage investment,
·      Investing in workforce development, training, and retention programs,
·      Promoting small business development centers, and
·      Helping small business owners access available programs and funding sources.

Federal Funds - Federal funds to support and promote tourism are critical. The industry will not fully recover unless the state invests in direct marketing campaigns, worker training, workforce development, and other programs that drive economic development. An investment of $150 million over two years will help support the industry as it works to rebuild. Allocated funds should go towards:

     $60 million - Marketing and Advertising ($30 million per year)
$45 million - Tourism Segment Recovery
      $8 million - Meetings and Conventions
    $10 million - Events
    $15 million - Aviation Hub Service
     $2 million - Sports Tourism
     $8 million - Special Consumer Districts
     $2 million - Rural Pathways
     $45 million - Career Advancement and Job Creation

Tourism is Economic Development - Tourism and hospitality careers provide above minimum wage (at entry level) jobs in rural and urban communities. It is also a reliable industry that leads to increased investment in the state which in turn generates significant revenue for the state and local governments through increased revenue from property taxes, GRT, CIT and PIT. Tourism also helps facilitate economic diversification by providing base services (restaurants, hotels, large events, small events, outdoor activities, concerts, tours, museums, etc.) that make NM a more attractive place to visit, live and ultimately locate businesses. To attract and retain business, NM needs to be a place people want to visit and stay.

Other States – New Mexico should follow the lead of neighboring states as they invest heavily in tourism marketing and promotion as well as workforce development and the improvement of tourism infrastructure. Tourism marketing and promotion is the second largest economic driver in New Mexico and has a proven and significant return. The industry will not fully recover without significant investment in this sector. Examples of competitive states’ support include
·      Arizona has announced a $101 million package that includes marketing funding for destination marketing organizations (DMOs), reinvigorating local community programs and events, and marketing support for domestic and international flights and outdoor recreation. The Initiative also provides funding to: AZ State Parks & Trails for revitalization and improvement; legacy golf course revitalization; the AZ Lodging & Tourism Association for a workforce initiative development; and Local First for rural destination development.
·      California is investing $95 million into programs to allow Visit California to vastly expand its advertising outreach to domestic travelers across the United States. In addition, the stimulus will allow for: a $20 million investment in campaigns to promote culinary tourism and family travel in the CA, winter sports and a new emphasis on promoting travel to CA’s urban cores hard hit by Covid; a dedicated $4.5 million investment to bring back business and group travel; and, a robust co-op program to promote travel in all corners of CA.
·      Alaska is investing 15% of its $1.02 billion in federal relief into an Alaska Tourism Revitalization Relief Fund to promote tourism and adapt services for potential loss of cruise ship season revenue/employment.
·      New York launched a $40 million marketing campaign earlier this summer focusing on outdoor destinations and designed to rebuild New York’s economy by revitalizing the state’s tourism industry.
·      Colorado legislators passed, and the Governor signed, a bill creating the Meetings and Events Incentive which provides $10M to incentivize meetings and events with a cash rebate of 10% against hard costs for hosting meetings and events.

New Mexico needs to invest in programs that rebuild the workforce and in marketing to help rebuild tourism and business travel. An investment of $150 million in Federal funds will ensure that the hospitality industry is well positioned to rebuild its workforce and attract visitors as the travel industry continues to recover.
_______________________________

Sources:
New Mexico Hospitality Association Workforce Challenges Survey (06/2021)
Arizona Tourism Investment Announcement: https://azgovernor.gov/governor/news/2021/07/governor-ducey-invests-tourism-continued-economic-recovery
California Tourism Marketing Announcement: https://media.visitcalifornia.com/story-inspiration/press-releases/new-state-budget-invests-$95-million-to-accelerate-california-tourism-recovery
Alaska Announces Tourism Investment:
https://omb.alaska.gov/ombfiles/22_budget/PDFs/ARP%20CSLFRF%20Plan%20Summary%204.16.2021%20Final.pdf
New York Tourism Marketing Investment:
https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/governor-cuomo-announces-second-phase-40-million-global-campaign-support-revival-new-york
Colorado Meetings and Events Incentive
https://oedit.colorado.gov/press-release/colorado-tourism-challenges-of-2020-tackled-by-governor-state-and-federal-government

Industry Resources

Be Patient, Be Kind, Be Respectful Posters


NMHA In the News
Employee Retention Tax Credit Presentation
Workforce Opportunity & Innovation Act Presentation
NMHA Annual Report
Ready NM Initiative
Emergency Rental Assistance Fund
Child Care Assistance Program - Expanded Assistance
‌

Do you have a job opening at your place of business? At this time, both members and non-NMHA members may post vacant jobs to the NMHA's Career Board.
The NMHA Career Board is specifically designed to target applicants seeking a career in the hospitality industry.
NMHA Career Board

Keep up to date with any changes in the state's policies regarding COVID. Public Health Orders are updated frequently to reflect the changing health environment. Make sure your business is in compliance with the current health orders.

Public Health Orders
Why NMHA?
With the constantly-changing elements of both our legal, workforce, and economic environments, it’s more important now than ever for industries join in unified representation to ensure their continued success.

Your membership in NMHA, a nonprofit corporation, is an investment in your own business/organization and your staff, along with the future of successful travel and tourism in New Mexico. Through the variety of programs, events, initiatives, and leadership opportunities, you will:

  • Be able to network more effectively
  • Strengthen your research, marketing and sales efforts
  • Enhance your knowledge and leadership skills through educational programs
  • Increase your impact on relevant legislative issues
  • Gain the latest, valuable information about issues affecting the tourism industry
  • Help focus attention on the economic and community benefits of tourism
  • Be part of an industry network of support which includes federal and state agencies, other state trade associations, destination marketing organizations, tourism attractions and industry supportive companies such as restaurants, hotels and airlines.
Become a Member
New Mexico Hospitality Association
www.newmexicohospitality.org / info@newmexicohospitality.org
Stay Connected!
Facebook ‌ Twitter ‌ Instagram ‌