9-20-2024 5:26am

Tourism Department commits $125,000 to Ruidoso area for tourism marketing initiatives

Chris Edwards Editor

In an effort to help reinvigorate visitor spending activity in the Village of Ruidoso and Lincoln County, the New Mexico Tourism Department (NMTD) is committing $125,000 in specialized cooperative advertising support for the area.

In total, NMTD is contributing to a collective media value of $200,000 for the purposes of destination marketing for the Ruidoso area. Lincoln County will contribute $25,000 and the Village of Ruidoso will contribute $50,000 in matching funds.

“The Ruidoso community has been incredibly resilient in the face of multiple natural disasters, and we want to make sure the Tourism Department is doing what it can to help the community get back on its feet,” said Acting Secretary Lancing Adams. “As a destination that relies heavily on tourism, we hope this specialized cooperative advertising support will revitalize economic activity for the local businesses the rely on visitation.”

"We are so appreciative of how the New Mexico Tourism Department immediately stepped up to assist the Village of Ruidoso after the wildfires and subsequent flood events. Within the first week, our tourism department and I were in communication with Acting Secretary Adams and his team - both of whom offered up immediate support. As soon as residents were allowed back into town, and it was deemed safe to invite tourists back, NMTD and our own team began planning and executing a fire recovery plan that would supplement our existing marketing plan. We feel very lucky to have NMTD as partners, and we consider them to be an integral part of our team," said Village of Ruidoso Mayor Lynn Crawford.

Through these specialized destination marketing funds, advertising campaigns will emphasize shopping local and supporting the small business community around Ruidoso. The Ruidoso area has been open and welcoming visitors for most of the summer and these funds from NMTD will further remind prospective travelers that the community is ready to them welcome too.

The devastating South Fork and Salt Fires that burned in the Lincoln National Forest earlier this year and the ensuing flash flooding temporarily discouraged visitation to the Ruidoso area as first responders and community members worked to rebuild and restore key infrastructure.

Earlier this year, NMTD released the list of participants in the department’s various grant programs. The Village of Ruidoso was awarded $608,866 through the Cooperative Marketing Grant Program and $51,741 through the Clean and Beautiful Grant Program.