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F I S C A L I M P A C T R E P O R T

SPONSOR Varela

ORIGINAL DATE

LAST UPDATED

1/29/07

HB 533

SHORT TITLE International Conference on Creative Tourism

SB

ANALYST Earnest

APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)

Appropriation

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY07

FY08

$100.0

Recurring

General Fund

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

HB 533 duplicates HB 18 and SB 505 and SB 414.

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

Tourism Department

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

House Bill 533 appropriates $100 thousand from the general fund to the Tourism Department for

planning for an international conference on creative tourism in Santa Fe.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

The appropriation of $100 thousand contained in this bill is a recurring expense to the general

fund. Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of fiscal year 2008 shall

revert to the general fund.

SIGNIFICANT ISSUES

As a member of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organizations

(UNESCO) Creative Cities Network, the City of Santa Fe has proposed an international confer-

ence on creative tourism to be held in Santa Fe in October 2007.

House Bill 533 – Page

2

PERFORMANCE IMPLICATIONS

According to the Tourism Department, the conference would assist the agency in improving per-

formance in the following measures:

•

New Mexico international and domestic tourism market share;

•

Number of visits to visitor information centers;

•

Percent increase in lodger's tax;

•

Percent change in tourists visiting New Mexico visitor information centers; and

•

Economic impact of tourism in the state of New Mexico.

ADMINISTRATIVE IMPLICATIONS

The Tourism Department finds they could administer this appropriation with existing resources.

OTHER SUBSTANTIVE ISSUES

New Mexico Tourism Department (NMTD) supports any legislation that promotes tourism and

that would increase international visitation to the state.

POSSIBLE QUESTIONS

Will the conference be held in Santa Fe regardless of the appropriation of state funds.

BE/mt