Keep it True, New Mexico. That’s the call from the New Mexico Tourism Department (NMTD), which urges businesses and the public to preserve authenticity in tourism. The department launched the campaign to push back against the growing use of artificial intelligence in tourism advertising. NMTD wants you to be part of the campaign and help drive change and progress.
With AI becoming more popular, you can see tourism and destination businesses using it in their advertising almost everywhere. You’ll find it in social media posts and in the ads you encounter around you. Some businesses use generative AI to create flyers, while others use it to produce videos. Many New Mexicans have voiced their disagreement with the trend. Others, however, support the use of AI in advertising.
On National AI Day, July 16, NMTD unveiled its Keep it True campaign through a social media post. The department said the occasion gave it an opportunity to reiterate its position on generative AI and tourism promotion. NMTD said it will not use the tool to create artificial versions of people, places, or experiences found in the state. Instead, the department vowed to stick to “what’s tried and true” and work only with real creatives to tell New Mexico’s stories.
“Destination promotion has existed as a visual-first endeavor for decades, which is why it is more important now than ever to depict our destination authentically and accurately.
We’ve taken a pledge to Keep it True, and now we’re inviting you to take the pledge with us. If you are a destination, experience or amenity who believes in the importance of promoting New Mexico through the use of real authentic imagery, we encourage you to sign our pledge to Keep it True,” NMTD said.
The new initiative quickly caught the attention of New Mexicans. Two months after its launch, our team looked into the story behind Keep it True so you can better understand what the campaign is really about.
How does the Keep it True campaign work?
The Keep it True campaign urges tourism industry operators to feature only real subjects and landscapes in their destination advertising. It also encourages advertisers to work with human creative professionals instead of relying on generative AI for their campaigns. Businesses can contract, commission, or hire creatives to produce their advertising materials.
NMTD is inviting tourism operators to join the campaign and help keep tourism advertising authentic.
“When it comes to the use of generative AI for destination marketing and promotion, our position is clear: the New Mexico Tourism Department will not use generative AI to fabricate the people, places and experiences found in the Land of Enchantment. At a time when the tourism industry seems to be experimenting with generative AI for scale and efficiency in creative production, we will stick to what’s tried and true: working with real creatives to tell real stories about the Land of Enchantment. Destination promotion has existed as a visual-first endeavor for decades. This is why it is more important now than ever to depict our destination authentically and accurately,” NMTD wrote on the pledge.
Through the campaign, the department wants to show what makes New Mexico genuine and unique. It also said people want to see and hear stories created and told by real people.
Why does NMTD discourage AI in tourism advertising?
Acting Tourism Secretary Lancing Adams said the spirit of authenticity has been, and will remain, foundational to the New Mexico True brand. “Relying on people and landscapes fabricated through the use of generative AI violates that spirit of authenticity, so we’re proud to take a position in defense of truth and reality in destination advertising.”
Gallup Tourism & Marketing Manager Matt Robinson also said generative AI may continue to advance, but it can’t replicate the state’s enriching experiences and vibrant cultures.
Statista’s The State of AI in Advertising report found that 59% of consumers see the loss of the human touch as one of the main risks for companies using AI.
At the same time, there are also some who see practical benefits. While 47% believe AI can speed up customer service, 38% say it can help employees perform their jobs. Another 35% believe it can generate more creative advertising. Meanwhile, 32% expect companies to pass AI-driven savings on to consumers, while the same percentage sees opportunities for greater product innovation.
But these benefits come with some serious concerns, too.
The human touch isn’t the only concern. Some 57% of consumers point to potential job losses, while another 57% worry about fewer chances to speak with a real person. They also have concerns about privacy and security. Some 43% worry about vulnerabilities, while 40.5% say AI could mislead consumers.
How many have already pledged to Keep it True?
Since the initiative was introduced in July, NMTD said a number of tourism-related businesses and organizations have taken it.
These include destination marketing organizations/entities:
- TOURISM Santa Fe
- Visit Grants
- Taos Ski Valley Chamber of Commerce
- Discover Ruidoso
- McKinley County
- Visit Gallup
- Visit Alamogordo
- Visit Las Cruces
- Santa Fe County Tourism & Marketing
These tourism-related businesses and supporting organizations have also joined:
- Tomasita’s Restaurant Group
- Grants MainStreet Project
- Zuni Pueblo MainStreet
- Sandia Peak Aerial Tramway
- Geronimo Trail Guest Ranch
- Ten Thousand Waves
- Santa Fe Children’s Museum
- New Mexico Wine
- Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad
How can you pledge your support for Keep it True?
You can take the pledge through this link: https://www.newmexico.org/industry/work-together/take-the-pledge-keep-it-true-new-mexico/
Once you’re on the site, check the boxes next to the statements that reflect support for NMTD’s initiative. The statements are:
- I pledge to not use generative AI to fabricate imagery of the people or places of New Mexico when I promote my destination/experience/amenity.
- I pledge to work with a real creative professional to produce multimedia materials to promote my destination/experience/amenity.
- I pledge to uplift and celebrate other destinations/experiences/amenities when they share promotional materials produced by creative professionals.
NMTD will also ask if you want your business or organization’s name added to its list of pledge supporters. Next, enter your name, destination/business/organization, and email address.
What local and online reactions followed the Keep it True launch?
Many news outlets reported on the campaign’s latest updates. In the comments section, New Mexicans share their thoughts about the initiative. Most of the reactions our team found are positive. Many said New Mexico doesn’t need AI to advertise its destinations because the state is already beautiful enough to capture the attention of locals and tourists.
“No one needs to use AI. [N]ew Mexico has enough real beauty to show. If you think something needs AI improvement [,] just improve it in real life instead,” a netizen said.
Others lauded NMTD’s initiative, calling it a smart move. One commenter even joked that he learned about the campaign after seeing AI generated images at the state fair.
Meanwhile, another discussion began after a netizen said there is nothing wrong with using AI when people use it properly. He compared AI to a tool like Adobe Photoshop. Some disagreed.
“Tell that to the artists it plagiarizes and the environment it’s killing,” a social media user replied.
“It’s wrong to use it deceptively,” another commenter said.
What do consumers think about businesses using AI in advertising?
Most Americans say they have recently seen ads from brands that clearly appear to use AI. Overall, consumers perceive businesses’ use of AI in advertising more negatively than positively, with young adults expressing the most criticism. Here’s what a recent study found.
According to the 2026 Bentley University-Gallup Business in Society survey, nearly half of Americans (49%) view businesses’ use of AI to create advertisements negatively. In comparison, 19% view it positively, while 32% have a neutral view.
Consumers don’t respond to every use of the technology in advertising the same way. They tend to be more accepting when businesses utilize AI to create ads than when it replaces real people’s images and voices.
Three in four U.S. adults (75%) say businesses can use AI to help employees brainstorm ideas or create early drafts, as long as they are upfront about it. Meanwhile, 53% say brands can use AI to create the final text, images, or videos for their advertisements.
Americans are much less accepting when businesses turn to AI to create people or voices for ads. Nearly two in three (62%) say this practice is unacceptable, even with clear disclosure.
Young adults are also less accepting than older Americans of AI use in advertising. Two-thirds (66%) in the 18 to 29 age group express negative views. That compares with 51% of adults ages 30 to 44, 38% of those ages 45 to 59, and 46% of those 60 and older.
Among 18- to 29-year-olds, 73% find creating people or voices with AI for ads unacceptable. That’s, by far, the highest share among all age groups.
The study found that consumers are open to AI as a creative tool. However, they feel less comfortable when it replaces people’s images and voices. As businesses expand AI use in advertising, the findings suggest their approach may influence consumers’ opinions of their brands.
