Today, the New Mexico Tourism Department unveiled a new list of road trips that will anchor summer travel in the Land of Enchantment. The “Enchanted 8” is a collection of eight New Mexico True road trips designed to feed your soul (and your stomach), and beginning today potential visitors can expect to see and hear a lot more about New Mexico’s appeal for road warriors.

“New Mexico is the most beautiful state in the country,” Governor Susana Martinez said. “And now, with the New Mexico True Enchanted 8, we’ll have more visitors getting outside the metro areas and into our rural communities spending money and supporting jobs in New Mexico.”

“Over the past year we’ve seen a resurgence in popularity of road trips across the country, and our research shows that a lot of those road trips are happening here,” Tourism Cabinet Secretary Rebecca Latham said. “Visitors to New Mexico are more likely to tour multiple areas than stay in one place, so we’ve made it easy for them to plan a trip by mapping out experiences linked by a common interest.”

A recent AAA report shows that 55% of Americans were more likely to take a road trip than the year before, and 69% of respondents indicated they were planning to take a road trip in the next 12 months.

“The ‘Enchanted 8’ give us another opportunity to tout our strengths,” Latham said. “Cuisine, Native American culture, architecture and adventure are all areas where New Mexico stands out against our competitive set. We have every reason to believe that these road trips will impact travel to and within New Mexico over the next few months.”

The department is bringing attention to these eight road trips through a digital and social media campaign and targeted public relations efforts. Visitors to NewMexico.org will find descriptions and interactive maps for each of the road trips, along with culinary recommendations and a New Mexico True Certified storefront to stock up on locally made snacks and products.