Once again, New Mexico tops a travel list and this time it is the only US destination to do so.

Since strong tourism translates to an improved economy and more people relocating to the state, the success of New Mexico True campaing has a direct impact on our local real estate market. This week's list comes from the Lonely Planet, the world’s leading travel media company and guidebook publisher, released its annual “Best in Travel” picks today. New Mexico grabbed number 4 spot on their list of the World’s Best Value Destinations.

The only United States destination included in the Best Value list, "New Mexico is already a no-brainer for budget-conscious travelers here in the US, with all its free outdoor experiences like hiking and hot springs, plus an up-and-coming, but absolutely affordable, food and drink scene," said Lonely Planet Destination Editor Alexander Howard. "When we refer to ‘best value’ we are talking about ‘value’ rather than ‘cost’. Whilst some of our best value destinations may be expensive to visit, the experience they offer is of better value than similar destinations, or it is better value this year than at other times.”

To choose the Best in Travel 2016, Lonely Planet invited its authors and staff to nominate destinations, and also consulted their travel community, asking them to specify why each place would be worth visiting in 2016 based on current travel trends, upcoming events and attractions, and more. To finalize the list, a panel of in-house experts, including co-founder Tony Wheeler, editor of the UK edition of Lonely Planet Traveller magazine, Peter Grunert, and editorial director Tom Hall, selected the final ten in each category (countries, cities and regions) by giving each destination in the shortlist a score for topicality, excitement and “x-factor”.

“It’s an honor to be recognized as a destination that offers great value; not because New Mexico is cheap or inexpensive, but rather the perception of how rich someone's experience will be for the price," said New Mexico Tourism Department Cabinet Secretary Rebecca Latham. "Our hospitality, cultural heritage and breadth of adventure all play into how value is perceived in this ranking. The result is not ‘how little you’ll spend on vacation,’ but ‘how great the bang for your buck is’ while visiting New Mexico.”

Tom Hall, Lonely Planet’s Editorial Director, said, “Best in Travel 2016 highlights not the places travelers are headed to next year, but the places our team determined they should visit. We picked a mix of up-and-coming destinations and places we anticipate will have buzz around them, based on special events and attractions, anniversary celebrations, new openings and more.”

The lists will be the highlight of Lonely Planet’s U.S. launch of a new quarterly magazine, set to appear on newsstands next week. The list is also published in a printed book, Best in Travel 2016, an ebook by the same title, and the website www.lonelyplanet.com/best-in-travel. The company also promotes the list with a comprehensive social media campaign, and consumer competitions.

If you're net yet familiar with the New Mexico True Campaign, check out one of their many videos below:

As a REALTOR®, the New Mexico True website is a great resource to share with your clients relocating to New Mexico.