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Nothing brings down your blood pressure like the sounds of wild horses clip-clopping and bluebirds tweeting just outside your window.

At least that鈥檚 how New Mexico Airbnb host Randy Dubiskas sees it, as he and his wife, Michelle, live out their days in Placitas, a scenic village nestled between sa国际传媒官网网页入口 and Santa Fe. 

鈥淧eople go on vacation to relax, but in an area like this, it鈥檚 in the air. You can鈥檛 help but relax,鈥� Dubiskas said.

Many Americans are seeking getaways like the one at 鈥� Dubiskas鈥� rental property. Of 2,000 U.S. adults polled in January, 86% said they are interested in visiting remote or rural destinations, according to a .

States like New Mexico stand to benefit from the growing demand for rural travel and tourism, given its abundance of rural counties, steeped in culture and history. Additionally, roughly 54% of the state lacks hotel accommodations, according to Airbnb and CoStar data.

鈥淢ore and more, people are kind of opting for something more unique, something off the map,鈥� said Laura Spanjian, Airbnb鈥檚 global head of policy.

People have been getting outside more since the pandemic, Spanjian said. But other drivers, she added, are tumultuous politics across the globe and rising costs for things like gas and flights, which are pushing people to seek experiences closer to home but off the beaten path.

鈥淎nd New Mexico really has that,鈥� Spanjian said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 just the amount of very cool stores, shops, restaurants, the museums and experiences. It鈥檚 a great state for it.鈥�

Dubiskas agreed, adding that the state鈥檚 unique qualities drew him and his wife 鈥� both from southern New Mexico 鈥� back to the state after years living in other places. The pair bought the Placitas property in 2021 and turned it into an Airbnb, hoping to retire there one day.

While their Airbnb property sits on the northern slopes of the Sandia Mountains with few Southwestern-style homes scattered throughout, it鈥檚 only about a 30-minute drive from the Duke City. But visiting the city isn鈥檛 often on the agenda for the property鈥檚 guests, Dubiskas said. They often want to know where the hidden gem spots for hiking and exploring are.

鈥淧eople come to us for a different type of experience,鈥� Dubiskas said.

Casa de Bobcats and Bluebirds has drawn visitors from across the globe, from a Serbian movie producer to an sa国际传媒官网网页入口 resident with post-traumatic stress disorder hoping to escape the city鈥檚 fireworks on the Fourth of July.

Last year was the property鈥檚 best year yet, drawing in a gross revenue of $43,000, Dubiskas said. But beyond financial support, Dubiskas鈥� hope for the Airbnb venture is that it gives guests a sense of how different cultures intersect in New Mexico and pushes them to explore other hidden parts of the state.

Dubiskas said he thinks New Mexico is well-suited to host the growing number of people seeking rural experiences, but that the word needs to spread a little more.

Airbnb recently spotlighted New Mexico in its first-ever released in March. Inspired by the rural tourism findings from January鈥檚 survey, the company collaborated with local partners and Airbnb hosts to create a list featuring 20 lesser-known 鈥� and rural 鈥� destinations across the country that people may never have heard of but are worth checking out.

is Pinos Altos, a historic mining town 3 miles north of Silver City. The Airbnb report said the town 鈥渇eels several generations removed鈥� and lauded its proximity to the Gila Wilderness 鈥� America鈥檚 first designated wilderness area.

Karen Campbell, owner of the Pinos Altos Museum, couldn鈥檛 agree more.

鈥淚鈥檓 not surprised by it,鈥� Campbell said. 鈥淲e are sort of underrated and never known about鈥� But there鈥檚 a lot in Pinos Altos.鈥�

She named off the , where live music and the aroma of steaks fill the air of a building that dates back to the 1860s, and her museum, a hand-hewn log cabin that was once Grant County鈥檚 first school house and sits on a mining claim that鈥檚 belonged to her family for as long as the Buckhorn building has been around.

鈥淧eople find their way up here, and we don鈥檛 commercialize stuff. It鈥檚 like it鈥檚 supposed to be. We left it alone, and it鈥檚 a good place to see,鈥� she said.

For Airbnb, part of the hope of creating the 鈥淎merica鈥檚 Off-the-Map鈥� list was to spread the tourism wealth, Spanjian said.

鈥淚 think it lessens the burden on the hot spots, which is good,鈥� Spanjian said. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e always going to get a ton of tourism. But having people go to places they鈥檝e never seen before 鈥� it鈥檚 exciting. It鈥檚 that sense of wonder and awe, and I鈥檒l always spend more money in a place like that. Knowing that I loved it, or that it鈥檚 beautiful, cool or unique, and I want to support that business and support those folks.鈥�

The same appears to be true for guests of Airbnb host Danlee Winegar, who lives in Los Cerillos and rents out on her property.

Winegar always recommends local businesses and dining spots to her guests 鈥� from the to and the in nearby Madrid 鈥� and owners frequently tell Winegar that her guests are stopping by.

鈥淧eople love learning the history,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 think all of my guests go to the Black Bird Saloon.鈥�

In 2024, Airbnb helped generate $527.6 million in economic activity in New Mexico communities, according to internal Airbnb data shared with the Journal. The data includes host earnings, tax revenue and guest spending on gas and at local restaurants, stores and museums. Airbnb also supported about 7,400 jobs across New Mexico in 2024, from the hosts to the cleaners, landscapers, plumbers and property managers.

Winegar said she commissions several local people in Los Cerillos, Madrid and Santa Fe for jobs related to her rental property.

鈥淚鈥檓 teeny, but I still use them on a regular basis, and I know it鈥檚 a significant part of their yearly income,鈥� she said.

For Winegar, being an Airbnb host is something of a dream job. She grew up in the Midwest during a time when bed-and-breakfasts were a popular accommodation.

鈥淚 always thought, 鈥極h, it would be so neat to decorate and create a cool experience for people,鈥欌�� Winegar said. 鈥淪o I feel like now, as an adult, my Airbnb is my way of having a little bed-and-breakfast.鈥�

Winegar has been renting out portions of her property for several years, but she first listed her current rental casita on Airbnb in 2021, after a long-time renter moved out.

She is also a makeup artist in the film industry, but with work in that field slowing as of late, she said she is 鈥渆xtra grateful鈥� for her Airbnb, which she said welcomes seven to eight guests per month and brings in a profit of about $30,000 a year.

Winegar said she has noticed a strong desire for rural tourism in recent years. She always ensures her guests understand that Los Cerillos is roughly 20 miles away from Santa Fe when booking so that they鈥檙e not shocked or disappointed upon arrival. They often respond, 鈥溾�楾hat鈥檚 why I chose your Airbnb, because we want to unplug, feel off the grid and be away from everything,鈥欌�� Winegar said.

Like Dubiskas, Winegar also welcomes guests from near and far. She once had an sa国际传媒官网网页入口 boutique owner visit the property because she had a big decision to make regarding whether or not to sell her business. Another time, a school teacher from Idaho left Winegar a note that said, 鈥溾�業 can鈥檛 tell you what this time away has meant to me. I was tired to my bones, and I feel so refreshed.鈥欌��

With interactions like these, Winegar said it鈥檚 not surprising that more people are seeking what rural areas have to offer. Regardless of where the guests come from and what they came for, Winegar hopes that her property showcases what makes New Mexico special 鈥� but not so special that they want to move to the state, she said with a laugh.

鈥淣o, but seriously, I hope they love it as much as I do. I think New Mexico is the most special state in the country,鈥� Winegar said. 鈥淚 think we all know the world is a really hard place right now, and I think coming here, they gain (the ability) to quiet their mind, reconnect with nature, get in touch with what鈥檚 important, let go of the stress in their life and just be more human.鈥�

Kylie Garcia covers retail and real estate for the Journal. You can reach her at kgarcia@abqjournal.com.