Visiting the Jersey Cape Anytime Soon? If So, There’s an App for That!

COURT HOUSE — Visiting the Jersey Cape anytime soon? If so, there’s an app for that!
The Jersey Cape’s mobile application is now available in the iTunes store and on mobile devices in the app store, and it’s ready to be downloaded by the traveling public for iPhone, iPad and the iPod Touch.
“The release of the Jersey Cape mobile application is another tool for the Cape May County Department of Tourism to reach out and inform the travelers whose plans will bring them to the beaches and attractions in the communities of the state’s southern-most county,” said Leonard Desiderio, freeholder liaison for the Cape May County Department of Tourism.
Listed under the category of travel in the iTunes store, iPhone mobile users can download the Jersey Cape application free-of-charge using the keywords “Jersey Cape” for instant access.
“We live in an ‘I want it now’ society where immediacy is the new measurement of convenience. This tool gives us another resource to complement marketing efforts of the Department, including a multi-media advertising schedule, development and distribution of a planning guide and the management of a visitors’ service strategy to inform the customer about the benefits of a vacation at the Jersey Cape,” explained Diane Wieland, director of Tourism for Cape May County.
“When 89 percent of our customers choose Cape May County for the beaches, it is exciting to think that we can offer a way to get real time information about what to see and do in the resort in their hands, while they are sitting on the sand or wading in the ocean,” Wieland added.
The Jersey Cape application has direct access to the resort’s website www.thejerseycape.com as a resource of information for travelers who are looking to find out what’s happening in the beach communities. The mobile app also gives visitors direct access to what’s going on in Cape May County’s resort and mainland communities via the website.
The county’s website managed by the department offers customers the options to request a vacation package, check the special events calendar for up-to-the-minute entertainment information or take advantage of coupons that are downloadable right from the front page.
The mobile app is instantly updated as tourism or the individual resort communities add information via a social media interface such as Twitter.
“It’s great, the interface is so easy to use and we can let visitors know exactly what’s going on. We can even, instantly upload photos, video and GPS links as events are happening right from our mobile phones—it really changes the shore experience for the visitor to know what’s going on with reminders, or as it’s actually happening,” said Wieland.
In the design of the app, users are directly linked to the tourism updates, but it also includes up-to-the-minute weather updates, live news feeds, photos and video of the region, and under the tab marked “more” there is access to each shore resort.
“One element of the app that we are so happy with is its edit-ability. The user can simply hit ‘edit’ and move their favorite resort right to the lower menu for instant access. For example, if you’re staying in Ocean City, you can set-up the app to go right to Ocean City when you turn it on,” explains Project Producer Steve Acito of Bluewire Media.
“The app will also allow shore communities offer discounts and promotions along with their event information. Users can share their findings on Facebook, e-mail or Twitter right from the app making it an interactive hub for their social media at the shore,” Acito added.
“The growing use of mobile technology is showing up in our research. Using Google analytics, the reports showed that information-seekers were using mobile devices as the portal to the county’s website. In fact, the iPhone was the most popular over other smart phone and blackberry devices,” Wieland explained.
The app was designed by Steve Acito of Bluewire Media which has locations in Berlin, NJ and Radnor, Pa. Acito has worked on and directed some of Cape May County’s tourism television marketing efforts since 2005 including the award-winning “Play, Escape, Discover” Campaign. The application authoring and code was completed by AcitoApplications, LLC of Haddon Heights, NJ.