SR Staff Report
The New Mexico Tourism Department (NMTD) is joining forces with the World Pro Ski Tour World Championships to highlight New Mexico as a premier destination for winter sports and the state’s commitment to a sustainable future.
The World Pro Ski Tour, presented by Rocket Mortgage, will host the Taos World Championships April 7-10, 2022 in Taos Ski Valley. The event will draw professional athletes from all over the globe, including Olympic medalists and World Cup Competitors. Thousands of spectators, competitors, and sponsors are expected to attend, showcasing Taos Ski Valley’s world-renowned terrain on an international livestream from FloLive.tv and national television broadcast to 70 million homes by CBS Sports Network. Fans can also get a behind-the-scenes look at ski racing through the award-winning docuseries, ‘Life Between Gates,’ syndicated to 60 million+ homes.
NMTD is supporting the World Pro Ski Tour Taos World Championships through the New Mexico Clean & Beautiful Program and the Keep New Mexico True brand, which highlights the importance of good stewardship of public lands through waste reduction and beautification.
“New Mexico is a premier destination for tourism and outdoor recreation, and this administration is committed to continuing our critical work in protecting and preserving our natural resources,” said Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham. “Taos Ski Valley is demonstrating how businesses can support good environmental practices, and I commend them for their efforts in sustainability. I am looking forward to seeing New Mexico’s world-class slopes on the international stage later this month.”
“Our environment enables us to provide excellent winter sport and recreation experiences for residents and visitors alike, but we have a profound responsibility to inspire and build a sustainable tourism ecosystem so future generations can enjoy these types of activities that make us New Mexico True,” Tourism Secretary Jen Paul Schroer said. The mission of the New Mexico Tourism Department is to grow New Mexico’s economy through tourism. “The World Pro Ski Tour is thrilled to partner with New Mexico Tourism as we head to Taos Ski Valley for our 2022 World Championships,” said Jon Franklin, CEO of the World Pro Ski Tour. “We need strong efforts to cultivate sustainable winter sports experiences and both Taos Ski Valley and the State of New Mexico showcase the highest level of these initiatives.”
“We are thrilled to host the World Pro Ski Tour World Championships this spring where over a dozen past and current Olympians like Franz Klammer and Bode Miller will be on hand and Taos will be showcased on the world-stage,” CEO Taos Ski Valley CEO David Norden said. “Hosting an event of this scale and prestige demonstrates how collaboration with our local community, the state, and area businesses can generate significant benefits and visibility for the region. Everyone who attends the event will be delighted by the true New Mexican culture and hospitality that will be on display.”
The NMTD Clean & Beautiful Grant Program provides funding to county, municipal and tribal governments to plan and implement waste reduction and beautification programs. In fiscal year 22, NMTD issued $789,800 in grant funding to a record 53 communities, such as $15,575 to Keep Carlsbad Beautiful for the community’s annual RiverBlitz cleanup event for the Pecos River and $32,123 to Los Alamos County for waste reduction initiatives such as water bottle refill stations at Ashley Pond and the Pajarito Environmental Education Center. This included $61,225 for tribal governments, representing a 308 percent increase from the previous fiscal year.
Taos Ski Valley is the first major ski resort in the world to become a Certified B-Corp. This designation is reserved for private entities that meet the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance and sustainability. The resort made a commitment to reach carbon neutral by 2030. In addition, Taos Air is a public-private partnership that provides 100 percent carbon offset air service to select markets in California and Texas.
New Mexico is at the forefront of efforts to build and preserve a future-facing tourism ecosystem through conservation and investments in sustainable infrastructure. In August 2021, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed an executive order to conserve at least 30 percent of all New Mexico lands by 2030.
Our state will also soon have cleaner, healthier air as a result of nationally leading emissions reductions regulations in the oil and gas industry, implemented last year, that will eliminate millions of pounds of harmful air pollutants and greenhouse gases.
New Mexico is committed to improving air quality and reducing greenhouse gas emissions by expanding accessibility to the Alternative Fuel Corridors national network through investments in electric vehicle (EV) charging station infrastructure. Through a $38 million allocation from the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration, New Mexico will expand its EV charging infrastructure to enhance access and reliability for residents and travelers alike. Currently, New Mexico has roughly 170 EV charging stations statewide, and visitors can now pick up a rented electric vehicle at the Albuquerque International Sunport and drive to skiing at Taos, explore the Navajo Code Talkers Museum in Gallup, or travel to hiking trails in Caballo Lake State Park, New Mexico’s climate initiatives also include collaboration with the private sector. On March 10, 2022, the Economic Development Department announced that Universal Hydrogen, a company with a mission to enable carbon-free fuel and reduce the climate impact of air travel, will build a manufacturing and distribution center in Albuquerque with support from the state. The development is projected to create hundreds of full-time jobs and will place New Mexico at the forefront of efforts to decarbonize aviation transportation.
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About New Mexico True: The New Mexico Tourism Department created the New Mexico True brand in response to common misconceptions that New Mexico is a dry, arid, barren desert state with nothing to do. Built upon the idea that a trip to New Mexico is an “adventure that feeds the soul,” the brand advertising campaign provides a platform for unified messaging for more than 50 communities and 450 businesses around the state.
Release courtesy of WPST
