The Las Cruces City Council, convening for a work session this past Monday, was briefed on the latest developments from Visit Las Cruces (VLC) and the outcomes of the 2025 New Mexico legislative session, with updates indicating a resurgence in tourism and legislative progress on crime, housing, and local projects, per a recent report on the city's official website.
VLC's director Rochelle Miller-Hernandez, in her presentation to the Council, put forth that the local lodger's tax, a 5 percent levy on room nights, has fetched a substantial $2.8 million in revenue for the fiscal year 2024, while the New Mexico Tourism Department's 2023 Economic Impact Report threw into sharp relief Dona Ana County's visitor spending at a robust $521.3 million, with tourism jobs accounting for 8.4 percent of the county's employment, according to City of Las Cruces.
Having navigated the downturn caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the tourism sector has rallied back, with 65 percent of industry experts according to VLC, acknowledging a return to pre-pandemic levels, signaling a robust recovery for the industry and inviting a new wave of lucrative events under VLC's support like the AgrAbility National Training and the State 47 Las Cruces Marathon along with the anticipated motorcoach market's grand return which is projected to regain its stronghold through to 2028.
Moreover, the "Mira! Las Cruces" festival continues drawing crowds, its third year pulling in 12,000 participants, as reported during the city council work session which can be revisited on the city's YouTube channel for those who missed the live updates including legislative briefings provided by Chief Administrative Officer Barbara Bencomo and city lobbyist Larry Horan, who said he tracked 142 pieces of legislation affecting Las Cruces, among these was House Bill 8, a compendium of crime measures which has now been codified into law, tackling a gamut of issues from firearm safety to opioid control, as noted by City of Las Cruces.
Aside from criminal justice reforms, the 2025 legislative session brought home to Las Cruces over $13.8 million for several urban projects, including the innovative Fire Department's Mental Health Initiative and a crime-fighting Real-Time Crime Center, each a testament to the state's commitment to bolstering both community wellness and safety; the session proved fruitful in securing a collective pool of funds exceeding hundreds of millions, targeted at state-wide water projects and housing programs, thus setting the city's trajectory towards sustained growth and infrastructure development.
