New Mexico Lodgers Association

New Mexico Lodgers Association
Name	New Mexico Lodgers Association
Type	Trade association
Headquarters	Albuquerque, New Mexico
Region served	New Mexico
Membership	Hotels, motels, inns, bed and breakfasts
Leader title	Executive Director

New Mexico Lodgers Association is a state-level trade association representing lodging proprietors across New Mexico, including hotels, motels, inns, and resort operators. The association engages with tourism bureaus, municipal authorities, and statewide organizations to promote hospitality standards, marketing, and legislative interests. It maintains relationships with regional tourism partners, hospitality education programs, and national lodging networks.

History

The organization was formed amid conversations involving stakeholders from Albuquerque hospitality leaders, Santa Fe innkeepers, and representatives from Las Cruces lodging properties, joining trends seen in associations such as American Hotel and Lodging Association and regional groups like California Hotel & Lodging Association. Early meetings referenced models from Austin Convention & Visitors Bureau, Visit Dallas, and Visit Phoenix to coordinate promotion with destination organizations including New Mexico Tourism Department, Santa Fe Convention and Visitors Bureau, and Albuquerque Convention & Visitors Bureau. Founders included proprietors from properties near Taos Pueblo, Bandelier National Monument, and the Gila National Forest who sought alignment with statewide initiatives similar to partnerships between Colorado Tourism Office and municipal entities in Denver and Colorado Springs. The association later collaborated with entities such as New Mexico Department of Transportation, New Mexico Finance Authority, and regional economic development offices in Bernalillo County and Santa Fe County to address lodging-related infrastructure and occupancy taxation issues, echoing precedents from Maricopa County and Clark County, Nevada hospitality efforts.

Mission and Activities

The association's mission emphasizes promotion of lodging quality standards, support for hospitality workforce development, and coordination with destination marketing organizations like Las Cruces Convention & Visitors Bureau and Roswell Convention & Visitors Bureau. Activities include liaising with state offices such as New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions and educational institutions including University of New Mexico, New Mexico State University, and Central New Mexico Community College to foster hospitality curricula. It benchmarks operations against national programs like Occupational Safety and Health Administration guidance, customer service training modeled on American Management Association curricula, and sustainability practices paralleling initiatives by U.S. Green Building Council. The association hosts advisory sessions with cultural stakeholders from Puye Cliff Dwellings, Chaco Culture National Historical Park, and Carlsbad Caverns National Park to integrate heritage tourism considerations.

Membership and Governance

Membership comprises independent innkeepers from Taos and Truth or Consequences, national chain franchisees active in Albuquerque International Sunport corridors, and boutique operators in Santa Fe Plaza and Silver City. Governance follows a board structure with representatives elected from hospitality districts similar to models used by Visit Albuquerque and Santa Fe County Lodgers Tax Advisory Board, and legal counsel engagements with firms experienced in hospitality law in Albuquerque and Santa Fe. The association coordinates with county clerks in San Miguel County, Doña Ana County, and Bernalillo County on occupancy tax remittance and compliance, and aligns bylaws with nonprofit norms seen at organizations such as Chamber of Commerce USA chapters and state trade groups like New Mexico Restaurant Association.

Events and Programs

Programs include annual conferences that draw speakers from organizations like Meetings Mean Business Coalition, U.S. Travel Association, and workforce partners such as Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International. Regional workshops have featured panels with leaders from Visit Tucson, Visit Seattle, and academic presenters from New Mexico Highlands University and Eastern New Mexico University. The association runs certification tracks informed by standards from American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute and hosts networking receptions at venues proximate to landmarks like Bandelier, White Sands National Park, and Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument. It organizes joint marketing campaigns shared with National Park Service units, regional fairs akin to Southwest Arts Festival, and cooperative promotions timed with events such as Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta and Santa Fe Indian Market.

Advocacy and Policy Initiatives

Advocacy priorities focus on lodging tax policy, short-term rental regulation, and workforce housing, engaging with legislators in New Mexico Legislature, administrative officials from Office of the Governor of New Mexico, and county commissions in Bernalillo County and Santa Fe County. The association has submitted policy positions alongside organizations like New Mexico Business Coalition and Santa Fe Business Alliance, and has participated in rulemaking hearings involving the New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department and tax policy discussions with New Mexico Department of Finance and Administration. It monitors federal matters affecting travel with attention to rules from Department of Transportation (United States), Federal Trade Commission, and Department of Labor (United States), and collaborates on initiatives addressing destination stewardship recognized by National Travel and Tourism Office.

Partnerships and Economic Impact

Partnerships extend to destination marketing organizations such as Visit Albuquerque, Santa Fe Convention & Visitors Bureau, and Mesilla Valley Tourism as well as educational partners like Central New Mexico Community College and New Mexico State University Alamogordo. Economic impact assessments reference visitor spending studies aligned with methodologies from U.S. Travel Association and county economic development analyses by New Mexico Economic Development Department and regional entities in Los Alamos County and Taos County. The association works with private sector partners including convention centers like Santa Fe Convention Center and Albuquerque Convention Center, transportation providers at Albuquerque International Sunport and Santa Fe Regional Airport, and major attractions including National Museum of Nuclear Science & History and The Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi to quantify lodging contributions to county tax bases and employment in hospitality clusters.

Category:Trade associations based in New Mexico Category:Hospitality industry organizations