The city of Santa Fe’s top tourism official says that an uncertain economy has caused a slight downturn in the number of visitors hitting the City Different.
According to the city website, Santa Fe attracts an average of about 2 million overnight visitors every year.
Executive director of Tourism Randy Randall told KSFR’s James Werbel that proposed tariffs and other developments have given some pause to potential tourists.
"I think the economy, being a little bit up and down, the stock market being up and down, the rules on tariffs being in limbo," Randall said.
"There seems to be a general concern of the Middle America—probably the lower half of middle America—seems to be a little bit concerned about what the economy's doing right now, and they are a little bit more reluctant to spend the dollars it takes to come visit Santa Fe."
Attention on the city remains high, however, especially after yesterday’s announcement that Travel and Leisure magazine for the first time named Santa Fe the number one city destination in the United States.
When asked why the city has long maintained a reputation for holding people’s interest, he explained by emphasizing the key word in the city’s nickname.
"They never get tired of coming to Santa Fe again and again because, while it doesn't change, there's always something new and different that they find that they are intrigued with," Randall said.
"Each person finds what in Santa Fe is special to them and as we like to say in our advertising, they come to find their different, to find out in the City Different what their particular different is."
You can hear James Werbel full interview with Santa Fe executive director of tourism Randy Randall, on our website, at KSFR dot org.
