ABQ Sunport Launches Out of Market Advertising Campaign to Support Tourism Recovery
The Albuquerque International Sunport recently launched a highly-targeted advertising campaign in seven cities across the United States to help bolster New Mexico’s tourism recovery efforts. The campaign highlights everything Albuquerque and New Mexico has to offer, from the incredible outdoors to the rich culture, and encourages people to reconnect after a year of quarantine and missed experiences.
“With many folks making vacation plans for the first time in over a year, we want Albuquerque to be top of mind as a destination,” said Mayor Tim Keller. “This multi-faceted campaign is one piece of revitalizing and reinvigorating our tourism economy, and will help visitors discover the beauty of our city and all we have to offer.”
The campaign, which will run through 2022, focuses on travelers in New York City, Boston, Atlanta, San Antonio, Austin, San Diego, Portland, and Seattle through targeted digital display across various websites and social media and streaming radio. These key markets were chosen based on research across the Sunport’s website, passenger load factors on current flight offerings, and discussions with airline partners. In addition to stimulating tourism, the campaign aims to accelerate the recovery of air travel, enhance demand in key markets, and re-attain flights lost or suspended due to COVID-19.
“We launched this campaign as demand for travel continues to rise and as our state fully reopens, and we’re very encouraged by the preliminary data we’ve seen thus far,” said Nyika Allen, Director of Aviation for the City of Albuquerque. “Our hope is not only to enhance demand in markets we already fly direct, but also those we’re looking to add to our offerings in the future.”
Creative for the campaign incorporates clean, eye-catching design, easy to digest copy, and a simple yet strong call to action. The Sunport has partnered with several local photographers for the imagery.
The $500,000 campaign is part of the $1.5 million allocated for tourism recovery and is fully funded by the Aviation department, which does not utilize any taxpayer dollars, and allocations will fluctuate throughout the campaign period to take peak booking and travel seasons into consideration. FAA rules and regulations dictate how aviation funds may be spent on marketing and advertising, requiring specific elements and landing pages for the ads themselves.
