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Lodgers tax board reports steady visitor counts, seeks updated hotel data and one board vacancy
Summary
At an Aug. 19 County Council work session, the Lodgers Tax Advisory Board reported roughly steady visitation since 2023, highlighted Bandelier National Park as the top draw and said the county has about 220 hotel rooms; the board asked for updated market data and noted one upcoming board vacancy.
Connor Tharpe, vice chair of the Lodgers Tax Advisory Board, told the County Council on Aug. 19 that the board’s work centers on promoting tourism and overseeing spending of the county’s 5% lodgers tax on overnight stays.
The board reported that, from Jan. 1, 2024, through July 19, 2025, the county saw more than 800,000 trips and more than 2,000,000 visitor days, with an average length of stay just under two and a half days. Bandelier National Park accounted for the highest number of visits in 2024 and continued to show increased monthly visitation in 2025, the board said.
Why it matters: Lodgers tax revenues fund advertising, visitor services and visitor-center operations. County leaders use those funds to support marketing contracts and infrastructure at visitor facilities; changes in visitation or lodging supply can affect future budgeting and requests for proposals for services.
Key details reported by the board included: - The lodgers tax is a 5% tax on base room rates, collected by lodging establishments and remitted to the county under state statute and county code. - The county’s tourism contract is currently with Sunny505, which provides advertising, media buys and analytics to inform spending decisions. - Visitor demographics for Jan. 1, 2024–July 19, 2025: the largest age group was 45–64 (about 34.8%); most visitors came from Santa Fe and Albuquerque (roughly 36.7%); average party size was one to two people; and the most common length of stay was about 2–2.5 days. - Bandelier National Park remained the single largest attraction; other frequent destinations include the Valles Caldera and the Bradbury Science Museum. - The board reported roughly 220 hotel rooms countywide and said two hotels report that about half their rooms are regularly occupied by laboratory contractors and other lab-related workers. - The board completed work on the White Rock Visitor Center outdoor restroom and pavilion, collaborated on an activity guide with Community Services, and refreshed several brochures.
Councilors pressed the board for more-detailed data. Councilor Regor asked whether the age distribution indicated commuters rather than tourists; staff explained the third-party analytics tool (DataFi) can exclude frequent visitors and contractors by looking at visitation frequency and a radius around lab facilities. The board said it plans to request more up-to-date market data on hotel inventory and utilization.
No formal county action was taken at the meeting on lodgers tax policy or funding.
What’s next: The board said one member term expires in December and the board will solicit applicants for that opening. Board members and staff also said they will continue to review RFP length and contract terms used for tourism services and to seek updated hotel market information.
