The New Mexico Tourism Department (NMTD) has announced the allocation of $3.8 million in grant funding to 45 entities through its Cooperative Marketing Grant Program for fiscal year 2026. The department will continue its 2-to-1 funding match policy, which means NMTD's financial contribution is double that of the grant partners, resulting in a total advertising investment of $5.7 million for FY26.
"Continuing to administer this program with 2-to-1 matching funds, we’re able to enter another year with expanded resources at a time where tourism promotion remains incredibly important," said Acting Tourism Secretary Lancing Adams. He also noted an increase in participation from tribal partners this year.
Approximately 69 percent of the grants will benefit rural regions, totaling $2.4 million. Five Native and Indigenous communities received a combined $75,084, marking a record number of grants issued to tribal partners within a single fiscal year. "The Tourism Department is committed to welcoming more tribal partners into our services and grant programs that support tourism promotion and development," said Tribal Tourism Development Officer Jey Bernal.
Lancing Adams Acting Cabinet Secretary of the New Mexico Tourism Department
| New Mexico Tourism Department
The Village of Ruidoso was awarded the largest grant at $613,942 due to their detailed and strategic plan for regional tourism promotion. Since last year, NMTD has provided over $1.3 million in cooperative marketing support to Ruidoso.
A complete list of recipients includes various cities and organizations such as Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce ($68,000), City of Alamogordo ($231,942), City of Deming ($78,420), among others. In FY25, NMTD distributed $3.8 million to 48 entities.
For further details on the history of grant funding under this program, interested parties can visit the NMTD website.
Information from this article can be found here.
