SANTA FE — New Mexico has again earned another accolade for its appeal as a noteworthy leisure travel destination.
As the latest example of New Mexico’s growing notoriety as a premier destination for leisure travel among professionals and experts in tourism, the New Mexico True “Living Legends” campaign was selected as a finalist for the 2025 Skift IDEA Awards for creative content.
The Skift IDEA Awards recognizes the individuals, teams, businesses and brands that are driving the travel industry forward. New Mexico True was selected as 1 of 10 finalists in the “Creative Thinkers: Content” category. New Mexico True is one of three U.S. destination management organizations selected as a finalist in this category, joining Travel South Dakota and Experience Kissimmee.
The “Living Legends” campaign, which first launched in 2021, channels the essence of New Mexico True through the people who contribute to our destination identity of “adventure steeped in culture.” This campaign has shared the stories of notable New Mexicans, such as Bull Riding Champion Parker Hooks, Champion Hoop Dancer Shandien LaRance, James Beard Award Winning Chef Fernando Olea and more.
“We’re thrilled to see more and more tourism institutions of influence take notice of how wonderful a leisure travel destination the Land of Enchantment is for folks looking for the perfect blend of culture and adventure,” said Acting Secretary Lancing Adams.
“It’s incredible to see how Mexico True continues to resonate with residents and visitors, and a lot of that staying power comes from the stories of distinguished New Mexicans who have contributed to our world-renowned culture and reputation as a haven for outdoor enthusiasts,” said Marketing Director Erin Ladd.
The selection of the New Mexico True campaign as a finalist for the Skift IDEA Awards is the latest in a series of noteworthy accolades and recognitions for New Mexico. The New Mexico Tourism Department’s earned media campaign for the Burning of Zozobra 100th Anniversary in 2024 was recently selected by the U.S. Travel Association’s ESTO Awards as a finalist in their “Buzz-worthy” award category. Through the implementation of a beautifully designed “burn box” thoughtfully distributed to select travel writers, NMTD shared the mystique and allure of one of New Mexico’s most unique and special traditions.
New Mexico was also selected as one of six finalists for the 2025 World Travel Awards in the “North America’s Leading Regional Destination” category, joining the likes of British Columbia, California, Colorado, Florida and Québec. Award recipients for this award are selected through a public voting process, which is still open until Aug. 10, 2025. The public is encouraged to support New Mexico by participating in the voting process. More information on how to vote is available here.
On July 8, 2025, Travel + Leisure named Santa Fe as the top U.S. destination for 2025 for the first time ever. Santa Fe was selected No. 1 overall by readers of Travel + Leisure, beating out marquee destinations such as New Orleans, Honolulu, New York, Chicago and more. Taos also made the list, coming in at No. 11 overall to give New Mexico two destinations to this prestigious list. South Carolina was the only other state to also feature two destinations.