The New Mexico Tourism Department (NMTD) is on a mission to bring the world a new emoji – a hot air balloon! Their campaign, launched during the world-renowned Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, aims to convince the Unicode Consortium, the governing body of emojis, to approve the long-awaited symbol.
Despite having nearly 3,800 emojis at our fingertips, a hot air balloon emoji remains strangely absent. This lack of representation for such a popular global activity has prompted NMTD to take action, leveraging New Mexico’s status as the “Ballooning Capital of the World.”
The campaign encourages residents, balloon enthusiasts, and tourists to sign a petition on the NMTD website and at Balloon Fiesta Park. The petition emphasizes the importance of a hot air balloon emoji in a world increasingly reliant on visual communication. Emojis are a powerful tool in the digital age, transcending language barriers and allowing people to share experiences and emotions in a simple, universal format. This is especially true for travel and tourism, where emojis play a vital role in how we express and connect with others.
For New Mexico, the absence of a hot air balloon emoji is a missed opportunity to showcase one of the state’s most unique cultural and tourist attractions. The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, attracting hundreds of thousands of spectators each year, is a visually stunning spectacle and a major draw for visitors. An official emoji would allow travelers and ballooning enthusiasts to share this experience more vividly in digital conversations.
The campaign also highlights the power of emojis in promoting tourism. Travelers often rely on emojis to describe destinations, activities, and attractions, capturing the essence of a place or experience in a quick and relatable way. A hot air balloon emoji would seamlessly integrate into this digital narrative, particularly during events like the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta.
The NMTD’s petition calls attention to the lengthy and often bureaucratic process of emoji approval. While the hot air balloon emoji has been pending review since January 2020, the Unicode Consortium has approved 483 other emojis in that time. This delay is frustrating for New Mexico’s tourism sector, who see the emoji as a vital tool in promoting the state’s unique identity. Acting Secretary Lancing Adams expressed his frustration, calling the absence of the hot air balloon emoji “deflating” given the state’s global status as a hot air ballooning destination.
The campaign draws inspiration from other successful emoji campaigns, such as the creation of the lobster emoji championed by a state legislator from Maine. This precedent provides hope that the hot air balloon emoji will eventually be approved, but the extended waiting period has created urgency for action.
The introduction of a hot air balloon emoji would have broader implications beyond New Mexico. Ballooning is a popular activity in countries like Turkey, Kenya, and Switzerland, where tourists flock to experience the serene, bird’s-eye views offered by hot air balloon rides. An emoji representing this activity would allow travelers worldwide to share their experiences more vividly, enhancing global travel storytelling.
In the age of digital nomadism and experience-driven travel, emojis have become integral to how people communicate their journeys. An emoji dedicated to hot air ballooning would add a new layer of expression, enabling travelers to quickly convey the excitement of these once-in-a-lifetime experiences. Whether flying over the fairy chimneys of Cappadocia or the plains of the Masai Mara, a hot air balloon emoji would serve as a universal symbol for adventure and exploration.
As the travel industry becomes more digitally integrated, the need for representative symbols like the hot air balloon emoji becomes increasingly clear. New Mexico’s efforts to advocate for this emoji reflect the growing importance of digital tools in promoting unique tourist experiences. The inclusion of a hot air balloon emoji would not only benefit New Mexico but also travelers and destinations across the globe where ballooning is a cherished activity. By pushing for this approval, NMTD is making a statement about the power of digital communication in modern tourism, highlighting how even the smallest symbols can have a significant impact on global travel culture.
