Federal Funds Bolster Tourism Marketing

CREST HAVEN – Spend a little, get a lot.
That describes the county’s return for attracting tourists to the Jersey Cape.
This year, close to a quarter million dollars in federal American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds bolstered Cape May County’s tourism budget and, in so doing, aided local and regional businesses. 
The post-Covid federal spending funded purchases the local government could not have afforded. Working with the state as part of the Southern Shore Region and using state funds, the spending and collaboration helped the campaign go further.
The money was spent on new photographic equipment, video shoots, television spots, travel show display materials and an update of the tourism website.
That’s what Diane Wieland, county tourism director, told the Board of County Commissioners Oct. 11.
Tourism is one of the Jersey Cape’s chief industries. 
The former tourism season has expanded into a year-round brand rather than from Memorial Day to Labor Day.
Tourism, aided by beaches and historical attractions, supports many related jobs. Wieland stressed that while those are still main attractions, visitors seek other things, such as dining experiences and winery visits.
The seasonal extension was due, in part, to the advertising and promotion funded by the ARP money, Wieland said.
Armed with a 20-page PowerPoint presentation that detailed how her department spent $241,600, Wieland pointed to the Occupancy Tax as proof of her words. 
The data measures overnight stays based on the average 5% tax levied on hotels, motels and bed-and-breakfast inns.
That tax is a trailing indicator that reveals to state officials the impact tourists’ dollars have on the area’s economy. The county and Cumberland link as a region to market their brand to visitors.
“Cape May County has experienced 16 months of positive growth in Occupancy Tax, the metric used to measure overnight stays. Post-Covid travel trends continue to emerge, and 2022 signaled the start of the ‘new normal’ after a frenzied pent-up demand in 2021,” the report stated.
The county’s “Occupancy Tax increased by 48% over 2019 and 19.4% over the same time in 2021. To date, 2022 Occupancy Tax increase in dollars is $3,383,488 over 2019; and $1,692,919 over 2021,” the report indicates.
Back from the North
“O, Canada” is what many area businesses sang as visitors from north of the border sought the peninsula’s sun and a warm welcome to campgrounds and motels.
“The reopening of the Canadian border allowed us to tap into a visitor base that no other county has captured, and offset some of the losses of 2020. Anecdotal reports indicate a 75-80% return rate,” Wieland told the board.
Despite record inflation, soaring gas prices, and a labor shortage working against local business owners, Canadians, many from Quebec, “defied all odds and are the real heroes of this story,” Wieland’s report states.
Ads in French and English convey the county’s tourism message to potential tourists in Quebec. 
A 2023 cooperative marketing grant of $22,500 targets the Canadian market, aided by a match from a Canadian Automobile Association-sponsored ad. A Facebook post will be viewed by an estimated 2 million. 
The Breakdown
Where was the money spent? Wieland had the answers: Marketing – $49,000, Effectv/Comcast – $115,600, CBS3 – $12,000, Dana Communications – $41,000, Reconnect Canada – $19,000, Bulk Mail Deposit – $5,000. All that totals $241,600.
Photos Sell the Story
If a picture is worth a thousand words, then the 20,000 new photographs of the county, taken with equipment bought with ARP funds, may be worth millions of dollars. That new batch of images brings to over 100,000 the photographs available to travel writers and journalists seeking to illustrate stories to portray the county.
Wieland cited a writer who inquired about some Christmas-themed images. His request was answered with photos and story ideas in less than 30 minutes.
Authentic and Unique
“We wanted people to know we’re more than just the beach; there’s so much more we talk about,” Wieland said, and added, “Tourism is a puzzle; every piece is important. We’re more than the shore and nature.”
The county is a “destination to pursue your passions and build memories,” Wieland said. 
The department worked with Dana Communications, also the state’s marketing agency, Wieland said.
Among the opinions offered by a focus group was the perception that the county’s 16 municipalities are authentic. Whether it’s Victorian or Colonial, architectural or otherwise, “It’s real, not reconstructed, it’s authentic, that’s what people like,” Wieland said.
Branding
If the county’s resources are marketed as a brand, that brand has a promise, said Wieland. 
“Cape May County promises to…be an authentic destination filled with places to pursue your passions and build memories,” the report reads. “Real…Restored, not Recreated – From Colonial to Victorian to Mid-Century Modern. Our brand “major” is authenticity. Our brand “minor” is personalized experiences.”
“Caring, charming, authentic, safe and welcoming small towns, places to pursue your passions, events tied to individual interests, commune with nature/history/arts, authentic experiences, farm-to-fork/ocean-to-plate, vine-to-wine, comfortable, warmly welcomed, fully free, charmed.”
In Conclusion
“The additional funding allowed us to invest in the county’s tourism future and gave us the opportunity to implement programs we would not have been able to do with our existing budget. 
“Our recovery rate of 96% in one year surpassed all other counties in New Jersey and continues to show strong growth.
“Without the funding, we would not be telling this amazing success story,” Wieland’s report states.
Thoughts? Questions? Email acampbell@cmcherald.com.