ALBUQUERQUE – New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has proposed a $25 million stimulus package for the state’s tourism industry to offset the consequences of the coronavirus pandemic.

Confirmed COVID-19 cases topped 50,250 in New Mexico on Wednesday with the reporting of an additional 1,022 cases. State health officials also reported another 14 confirmed deaths, bringing that statewide tally to nearly 1,060 since the pandemic began.

The number of patients being hospitalized also remains high, with medical officials reporting capacity at about 80%.

The tourism proposal comes after a recent employment report said the state’s leisure and hospitality industry has lost 24,500 jobs this year, about a 24.5% decrease from a year ago.

“In both rural and urban communities, tourism offers entrepreneurs a path to create opportunity for their families and offers communities of all sizes a reliable building block for their own economic recovery strategy,” Lujan Grisham said.

She said she will ask lawmakers to consider the package during the legislative session that opens in January.

The governor’s office said the pandemic has cost the state’s tourism industry $4.3 billion this year. The figure does not include long-term losses due to business closures and workers moving out of the state.

The U.S. Travel Association and Tourism Economics estimates that without substantial funding, it may take up to seven years for the industry to return to pre-pandemic spending levels.

“New Mexico has a strategic advantage coming out of COVID-19 due to its strong outdoor recreation assets and abundance of open spaces,” state Tourism Secretary Jen Paul Schroer said. “However, this advantage cannot be realized if New Mexico is not competitive with other states actively investing stimulus funds for tourism promotion.”