CREST HAVEN – 2022 was a banner year for Cape May County tourism and officials expect the good news to continue in 2023.
The county Tourism Conference was held in the Commissioner’s Meeting Room on the morning of June 6. The basic message was the county has recovered from the pandemic and is reaching new heights in terms of visitors and spending.
Direct tourism expenditures in 2022 hit $7.4 billion. The county was second overall to Atlantic County in total tourism expenditures, but number one in the state for food and beverage, retail, and recreation spending.
The county has now passed the pre-pandemic 2019 revenue numbers by $499 million. County direct tourism employment was up by over 7% from 2021.
Where the numbers hit the stratosphere is in number of total visits. Visitation was up 10% from last year and is now over 11 million. Tourism Director Diane Wieland reminded the audience that there were more visits to Cape May County in 2022 than the total population of New Jersey.
Many visitors are counted multiple times since day trip visits numbered 4.2 million as people grabbed a day where they could and drove down to the shore, some multiple times over a season. There were 7.2 million overnight visits, an increase of 9% over 2021.
County Commissioner Director Leonard Desiderio said, “Visitors are learning that we are more than a beach designation.”
He referenced survey results that show most of the visitors last year took two or more trips to the county.
Who Comes to the Shore?
Using survey data to build a profile of county visitors held some surprises. Most visits were by couples (38%). Next in line came family travel with children (21%). Those who came with an extended family followed in third (18%).
A staggering 44% of visitors say they have been coming for over 20 years. That is a level of loyalty most tourism meccas would envy. Still, another 8% said they were first-time visitors, perhaps starting new traditions.
Despite the youths causing some consternation in some of the beach towns, most of the visitors are older, with 85% of survey respondents being 54 years old or older. Most of the visitors come from Pennsylvania, New Jersey, or New York, with about 20% from outside those three states.
For most, the reasons are simple. They seek a safe, relaxing, family-oriented vacation that they perceive to be a value at the cost. The number one attraction is, of course, the beaches, but dining, shopping, and boardwalks are high on the list, as are free attractions like the award-winning zoo.
As Wieland remarked, the county delivers what its visitors want through a network of mom-and-pop small businesses without the heavy imprint of national chains.
County and State
The 2020 census again showed Cape May County at under 100,000 residents. One would not know that on a given day in the summer. The report on summer population shows almost 800,000 people in the county on a given day. For those months, the county ranks with the most populous in the state.
Yet, if there was a negative aspect to the remarks at the conference, it involved the county’s relationship with the state. The numbers show that the county generates $1.75 million a day, 365 days a year, in taxes sent to Trenton. State Sen. Michael Testa (R-1st) told the audience at the conference that the county should be getting much more of the money back from Trenton.
Wieland pointed out that Cape May County generates $19 million in occupancy tax and gets back $2 million in tourism support dollars. She compared that to Essex County, which she said generates $4 million and gets back $8 million.
“The system is flawed,” Wieland asserted.
Assemblyman Antwan McClellan (R-1st) echoed Testa’s remarks, arguing that the state must do more to support the local businesses and infrastructure that supports those 11-million-plus visitors each year. Testa also argued that the South Jersey region and the county, in specific, is very underserved by New Jersey Transit.
2023 Already Looking Good
Desiderio spoke to the strong start to the 2023 season, noting, “Memorial Day was one of the best, and reservations booked at our hotels, motels, and campgrounds are indicating a great summer.”
Wieland supported Desiderio’s comment with data showing strong occupancy tax revenue in the first quarter of the year.
Despite the promising predictions for 2023, the conference pointed to some challenges.
Economic uncertainty and the remaining inflation were two items noted, with a concern that “discretionary income, savings, interest rates, and investments are reducing the vacation budget.”
With all the Cape has to offer and the trend lines in visitor growth, the betting was on another strong year.
Contact the author, Vince Conti, at vconti@cmcherald.com.
