Thursday August 21, 2008 - The Taos News
Tourism marketing funding comes to TaosValley
Tourism marketing funding comes to TaosValley

By Patricia Chambers

The Taos News

Taos County is the big win­ner in the annual cooperative grant program distributed by the New Mexico Tourism Department.

A cooperative effort to prepare a grant application by the Taos County Lodgers AssociationandtheTaosCounty Chamber of Commerce resulted in a $33,000 to enhance the Taos Vacation Guide Web site www. taosvacationguide.com.

The grant is the largest ever awarded by the state Tourism Department.

Mary Jane Morgan and Janet Webb ofWebb Design prepared the grant application.

“It was the highlight of my week to hear that we got the grant,” Webb said.

The redesigned Web site is expected to launch by the end of this week, Webb said. It will include features such as a trip planner, and e-postcards, she said.

The Taos Vacation Guide is sent to anyone who requests information about Taos, Webb explained. The newest guide will soon be available for download from the Web site, she said.

“We get about 2,000 visits a month to the Vacation Guide Web site,” she said.

The tourism department funds don’t come without a price, however. Local matches are necessary, but Webb is not worried about raising the 50 percent matching funds.

The 45 hotels in the Taos County Lodgers Association, the town of Taos, Taos Ski Valley and the area art galleries and museums will contribute, Webb said. The state reimburs­es the entities that receive tour­ism grants for money spent on advertising.

“We have to spend about $100,000 to get the $33,000, but it’s worth it to expand the mar­keting programs for the coun­ty,” she said.

The Lodgers Association buys the back cover of the state lodgers guide each year. “We’ve had the back cover for about 20 years. They print about 1 mil­lion copies. It’s really effective for us,” Webb said.

Expanding the market­ing programs for the county is increasingly important as the tourist market shrinks, she said. “People who used to fly or drive long distances for vaca­tions are looking for the best place to spend their vacation dollar,” Webb said. “A vacation in Taos is less expensive that more exotic locations.”

Also underway is a proj­ect creating a Taos Tourism Council, Webb said. The non­profit has been registered with the state and the final papers are being drawn up, she said.

Additional grants awarded

The town of Taos also received $10,000 from the New Mexico Tourism Department to beef up its marketing efforts. Griffin & Associates, the agency that contracts with the town to market the community, made the town’s first application for the tourist funds in con­junction with the Taos Gallery Association and Taos County Chamber of Commerce.

The Taos Valley received nearly $124,000 from the 2008­2009 tourism grants.

Other organizations receiv­ing tourism funds are:

■ The Museum Association of Taos, $5,000

■ Harwood Museum of Art Alliance, $3,000

■ Taos Ski Valley Chamber,

$9,000

■ Taos County Film Com­mission for $1,000.

■ Enchanted Circle Coop­erative, $7,000

■ Eagle Nest Chamber of Commerce, $4,000

■ Holy Cross Hospital, $8,000

■ Taos Ski Valley Chamber of Commerce, $9,000

■ Touchstone Foundation/ Taos Artists Organization, $1,000

■ Town of Red River, $19,000

■ Town of Taos, $10,000

■ Village of Angel Fire,

$13,000.

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