WIDLWOOD – The Greater Wildwoods Tourism Improvement and Development Authority (GWTIDA) received a 2010 New Jersey Governor’s Award for Tourism Excellence for its newly redesigned Wildwoods tourism website, www.WildwoodsNJ.com, on Thursday, April 15, during the 2010 New Jersey Governor’s Conference on Tourism at Atlantic City’s Trump Marina.
GWTIDA’s newly redesigned tourism website was selected from numerous nominations submitted from across New Jersey. According to the New Jersey Department of State, Division of Travel & Tourism and the New Jersey Travel Industry Association, the honorees represent a group of organizations who have shown exemplary dedication to New Jersey’s tourism industry. The award winners targeted out-of-state visitors, increased the visitor’s length of stay, and drove home the message that New Jersey is a travel destination second to none. All were able to illustrate this through their nomination by firmly and reliably tracking their return on investment.
Joann DelVescio, President of the New Jersey Travel Industry Association, said, “The Wildwoods’ new website is a shining example of what a dynamic travel and tourism website should look like. It captures visitors’ attention and entices the visitor to see first-hand what the Wildwoods are all about.”
Since the unveiling of the new website, the Wildwoods have seen an increase in website visitors and Vacation Kit requests. GWTIDA saw a 10.7% increase in the number of unique visitors to the Wildwoods tourism website from July-December 2009 compared to the same period of time in 2008. GWTIDA also saw a 124.6% increase in the number of repeat visitors to the Wildwoods tourism website when comparing July-December 2008 statistics to 2009’s. Additionally, the number of Vacation Kit requests through the website increased by 91.2% from July-December 2008 to July-December 2009.
Developed to update the Five Mile Island’s tourism web presence and unveiled in July 2009, the revamped www.WildwoodsNJ.com offers visitors an improved interface and fresh animated experience – reflecting the flavor, fun and appeal of the Wildwoods’ new 2009 marketing campaign. Utilizing energetic colors, striking graphics and flash animation, the Wildwoods’ new online presence is a perfect personification of the overall Wildwoods experience – pure sensory overload! The redesigned Wildwoods website streamlines navigation and utilizes a wide variety of web tools and features, making the site more user-friendly when browsing. It’s also full of information on hotel, motel and Bed & Breakfast accommodations, dining, FREE beaches, entertainment, nightlife, amusements, boardwalk, shops, attractions and more in the Wildwoods.
“The idea behind the website reconstruction was to give visitors a better representation of what the Wildwoods experience is all about, so we made the colors brighter, the visuals more fun and entertaining, and the overall website experience more hip and cool. The update seemed to resonate really well with our audience, attracting more web visits and more Vacation Kit requests,” said Ben Rose, Director of Marketing and Public Relations for GWTIDA.
Suasion Communications Group/Smith O’Keefe of Egg Harbor Township, NJ completed the original website and the new redesign project.
This marks the second New Jersey Governor’s Tourism Excellence Award in two years for the GWTIDA and Suasion Communications Group partnership. GWTIDA and Suasion earned a 2009 Governor’s Award in 2009 for Public Relations.
“The dynamic collaboration between the Suasion and GWTIDA teams has resulted in three major awards over the past year, earning a New Jersey Governor’s Tourism Excellence Award two years in a row, along with an Adrian Award for our public relations campaign,” says Susan Adelizzi-Schmidt, President of Suasion Communications Group. “The Wildwoods are a one-of-a-kind destination, and we look forward to continuing to promote the island through dynamic public relations and web campaigns.”
The New Jersey Governor’s Conference on Tourism is a joint venture of the New Jersey Department of State, Division of Travel & Tourism and the New Jersey Travel Industry Association. The Governor’s Tourism Awards Ceremony serves to honor the individuals and organizations that have contributed to the experience of visitors and the quality of life of New Jersey residents.
For more information about GWTIDA and the Wildwoods, visit the newly redesigned www.WildwoodsNJ.com or call 609-729-9000 or 800-WW-BY-SEA.
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About the Greater Wildwoods Tourism Improvement and Development Authority
The Greater Wildwoods Tourism Improvement and Development Authority (GWTIDA) was formed in 1993 to consolidate the tourism economy of its three founding municipalities: Wildwood, Wildwood Crest and North Wildwood. The Wildwoods have won numerous travel and tourism awards, heralding the resort for its beaches, boardwalk and attractions. In 2009, the Wildwoods were named one of Sherman’s Travel’s “Top Ten American Boardwalks” and one of Time.com’s “50 Authentic American Experiences.” In addition, the Wildwoods were also voted “Best Town” and “Best Beaches” in the 2009 WTXF-TV My Fox Philly Hot List, Jersey Shore Edition contest. The Wildwoods were also named “Best Beaches” in the 2008 Top Ten New Jersey Beaches public survey, sponsored by the New Jersey Marine Sciences Consortium. Wildwoods beaches were named “Best Beach for Family Vacations,” “Best Beach for Tourism” and “Best Beach for Events” in the same survey. The Tourism Authority operates the Wildwoods Convention Center and acts as the island’s destination marketing organization overseeing the development, research, planning, marketing, advertising, promotion, public and media relations encompassing the tourism, meeting and convention industry in the Wildwoods. Additionally, the Authority funds, assists with and hosts more than 180 annual special events to enhance the visitor experience and extend the tourism season, including the Thunder On The Sand Race Series, Family Nights On The Boardwalk, Friday Night Fireworks, The New Jersey State Barbeque Championships and Anglesea Blues Festival, Classic Car Shows, the International Kite Festival, Irish and Italian Festivals and the National Marbles Tournament, among others. For more information on the Wildwoods, contact the GWTIDA at 1-800-WW-By-Sea (800-992-9732) or visit its web site, www.WildwoodsNJ.com .
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