The 'Land of Enchantment' Needs a Lift

New Mexico calls itself the Land of Enchantment. But the spell isn't working all that well. Overnight tourist trips in New Mexico have dropped by nearly 10% in the past three years, and spending on everything from souvenir magnets to turquoise jewelry fell by hundreds of millions of dollars. When state tourism officials convened focus groups in Chicago, Houston and Los Angeles to ask prospective travelers about their perceptions of New Mexico, the same depressing descriptions kept cropping up: "Arid." "Barren." "Dull." Also: "Close to Arizona." So state officials are launching a $2.5 million effort to rebrand New Mexico as a place of charm and character, adventure, excitement—and really good green chili cheeseburgers. As a model, the state is looking north to Colorado, which routinely gets praised in focus groups as "majestic," "glorious" and "heavenly." The tourism department hasn't yet announced its new slogan, but Ms. Jacobson says it will be built around the premise that New Mexico offers visitors "adventure steeped in culture." A key goal: attracting younger families. State figures show 24% of tourists who stay overnight in New Mexico are 65 or older—a higher proportion than in nearby Arizona, Colorado and Utah, where on average 17% of overnight visitors are senior citizens. Those demographics matter because older visitors tend to spend less—and aren't as likely to generate a positive buzz for the state by tweeting about only-in-New Mexico experiences such as llama trekking in Taos, spelunking in Carlsbad Caverns or tramping in the dusty footsteps of Billy the Kid...more