Growth Will Continue in ‘19

CREST HAVEN – Cape May County Tourism Department Director Diane Weiland made an investment to keep Cape May County in the public eye.
At the Cape May County Tourism Conference at the County Administration Building May 17, she said that her department gave away 650 pounds of saltwater taffy at tourism conferences last year.
Cape May County’s tourism industry has shown continual growth since at least 1994 when the first economic impact study was conducted; 2018 was no exception as tourism spending hit the $6.6 billion mark, up 3.8% from the prior year.
That trend will continue, Weiland told tourism leaders, local officials and businesspeople, and she wasn’t alone in her assessment.
Assemblyman Bruce Land (D-1st), vice chair of the Tourism, Gaming and History Committee, Jeffrey Vasser, director of New Jersey’s Division of Travel and Tourism, and Freeholder E. Marie Hayes agreed.
Land said keeping those numbers on the rise may depend on what happens in Trenton. He has been fighting the bed-and-breakfast (B&B) tax on people renting their homes and the $15-per-hour minimum wage, along with brewery issues and things affecting the fishing industry.
“The minimum wage increase will hurt the First District,” Land said. “I paid the price for voting against the increase. That kind of hurt me up there (Trenton) because I had a few things pending. They weren’t happy with the fact that I voted no. They really wanted that to go up.”
During a question-and-answer session, Vasser said he didn’t think the minimum wage increase would hurt the tourism industry.
“There’s going to be carve-outs for seasonal businesses,” Vasser said. “I think it will be absorbed. People still want to come here.”
Land said he is working on obtaining funding to repair and replace portions of Wildwood’s boardwalk and on increasing appropriations for the arts, cultural projects and for tourism development.
Vasser, who addressed the Cape May County Chamber of Commerce the previous day, unveiled recent tourism numbers that show while tourism is the seventh largest employer in the state, it is the lifeblood of Cape May County with almost 43% of employees working in the field. That number jumps to almost 60% when indirect impact is factored in.
Vasser said visitors to New Jersey spent $44.7 billion last year and his department is looking to attract even more visitors to the Garden State in the future.
Recognizing that beach destinations drive the tourism dollar and are often filled during summer months, a new advertising initiative will push the other amenities offered in the state, called “More Than the Shore.”
“Everybody knows our iconic Jersey shore, but they’re not familiar with all of the other things that we have to offer,” Vasser said.
Weiland referred to the latest economic impact study that contains surveys that show visitors to the county hit the beach, but also make side trips to the Cape May County Zoo, boardwalks and the growing number of wine and craft beer locations.
Vasser said that sector of the tourism industry is up and coming.
“The public relations firm we hired to push ‘More Than the Shore’ is the firm that helped promote Sonoma County (California) wines. We have great wines in New Jersey and the state is the fastest growing state for craft breweries,” Vasser said.
Weiland said Cape May County continues to work on extending the season, pointing to special events and holidays that draw visitors throughout the year.
Weiland and Vasser said they expect another fruitful summer season.
When asked what would make 2019 a blockbuster season, Weiland replied “constant 80-degree days and sunny weekends.”
To contact Carl Price, email cprice@cmcherald.com.