New data from the Department of Tourism shows the number of domestic visitors to New Mexico rose by almost 5 percent from 2010 to 2011 and boosted the state's hospitality industry. Tourism Secretary Monique Jacobson says the state is attracting the "right people" who spent more last year than a year earlier.
Jacobson told people attending a Tourism Association of New Mexico conference Friday that larger groups of tourists are visiting the state, staying longer and spending more.
More than 31 million people visited New Mexico in 2011, compared with fewer than 30 million in 2010. That's the highest number since 2008.
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Information from: The Santa Fe New Mexican, http://www.sfnewmexican.com
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.