Visitors State Vacation Plans Include County

CREST HAVEN – Cape May County tourism officials are hoping those “Lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer” that the late singer Nat King Cole crooned about will instead be busy, sunny and well organized, for businesses that thrive on visitors’ dollars.
While many do not envision summer “happening” until the balmy days of June, attendees of the Cape May County 19th annual Tourism Conference April 25, Freeholder Vice Director and Sea Isle City Mayor Leonard Desiderio reminded the crowd that his resort had cut the ribbon to open the season at the February Polar Bear Plunge. Not only that, but it was done with the world’s longest ribbon cutting, he added.
While keynote speaker Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno was scheduled, she was unable to attend, according to Grace Hanlon, state tourism director, who addressed the conference in place of Guadagno.
“Tourism is the lifeblood of Cape May County,” noted Freeholder Director Gerald Thornton, who moderated the session. He cited the $5.1 billion that flows into county cash registers from tourists “in a very short (12 week) period of time. We will do everything possible to protect the foundation of our economy here.” Thornton acknowledged Hurricane Sandy, “which created some difficulties for us which we are working hard to overcome.”
Regardless of the debris and repairs still being made (Townsend’s Inlet Bridge connecting Avalon and Sea Isle City reopened to traffic April 26 at 4 p.m.), “Since last November, we have been advertising Cape May County is open for business. We will be open for business. That is very important.”
The devastation in Ocean and Monmouth counties, he said, “will have a major impact on their economies. We were fortunate,” he added.
“We are going to do everything possible to let everyone know that New Jersey is open for business. The image projected throughout the nation has been somewhat difficult to overcome, but Grace Hanlon, the lieutenant governor and governor have invested a great deal of time and money to get the message out,” Thornton continued.
While the county has invested heavily in promoting itself in the Northeast and Quebec, Canada, and statistics seem to favor a banner season, based upon all data and other evidence, there are many factors which could adversely affect the anticipated masses.
“We are looking forward to welcoming our visitors to our beautiful beaches, exciting boardwalks and diverse attractions,” said Freeholder E. Marie Hayes, who oversees the county Department of Tourism. “We are still holding our breath waiting to see what will happen.”
Beach nourishment projects are underway. There is a countywide Wayfinding and signage project, and “work on Garden State Parkway is moving quickly with a minimum of disruption to traffic,” Hayes added.
“We give thanks to the people in this room and many others who worked hard to rebuild our communities,” she continued.
More than 50 percent of the state’s tourism revenue is generated at the Jersey shore, Hayes noted.
“Cape May County is not facing some of the challenges as are those beach communities up north. We are closing monitoring how sandy will impact the 2013 season for all of us,” said Hayes.
Hayes cited figures that would seem to dazzle:
• In Cape May County, tourism is valued at 64 percent of the local economy.
• Tourism provides 24,000 direct jobs.
• Tourism generates 14 percent of tourism revenue in the state.
• Cape May County is second only to Atlantic County for tourism expenditures.
• The county is ranked second in attracting visitors, 12.4 million in 2012.
• The county hosts 18 percent of all visitors to the state.
• County ranks first in rental income generated, $1.8 billion.
• Fifty percent of all rentals in the state are located within the county,
• The county generated $9.4 million in occupancy tax (for the state) and $487 million in state and local taxes.
Who are visitors to Cape May County and its “diverse destinations,” said Hayes.
“We offer more than beaches. There is nature and birding, wineries and eclectic dining options as why tourists return,” said Hayes.
Hayes said the county’s promotional efforts had to discount those from surrounding states, which, shortly after the storm, advertised they were open, whereas New Jersey was suffering from Sandy’s impact.
“We went to targeted audiences through multiple media in the 300-mile radius, reaching as far as Canada,” Hayes said.
A press conference in Montreal gave widespread regional coverage as did 21 travel shows and digital billboards to spread the word, “We are open for business,” Hayes said.
She believes this year’s visitor survey seems to indicate “our marketing efforts paid off. They have been overwhelmingly positive. They (tourists) are not concerned about the (storm) damage. They have indicated they will absolutely return in 2013.”
“Working together, unified, we are Jersey strong,” Hayes concluded.
Thornton introduced Hanlon as “a good friend of Cape May County.” She said her parents live in Court House, and residing in Monmouth County, she witnessed “first-hand the devastation of the hurricane about two miles from the shore.”
As a result of the storm’s impact, Hanlon said she made many trips to Court House on weekends to “do laundry, regroup and wallow in hot water.” She said Cape May County had been “wonderful to me and my husband,” a professor at Monmouth University where the largest storm shelter in the state was located.
Of Vicki Clark, president, Cape May County Chamber of Commerce, Diane Wieland, county director of tourism, and Debbie Bass (a tourism office employee)…you are definitely walking the walk and showing the results,” said Hanlon. Credit for the tourism increase last year, she noted, had “a lot to do with the state campaign, and a lot to do with private partnership…to market the wonderful state we have.”
Guadagno, Hanlon said, “made a point, after the hurricane” to visit Cape May County and to be in constant conversation with county officials. She also traveled to Canada, and “made a lot of noise that was translated into French, she went to Canada to promote you as open for business.”
The state is “doing things a little different” using digital campaigns to target strategic areas for some travel websites and marketing banner ads.
“We really target New York and Philadelphia” to get repeat customers to return.
She said the governor announced that $25 million in federal grant money would be used to fund the campaign to promote the state as a “premier destination, to encourage them to shop locally and help people who were open for business,” said Hanlon.
Radio and Internet were the main conduits for that state-funded advertising, Hanlon said.
“I am pulling for you, praying for you,” she said.
She noted that Gov. Chris Christie “Talks about tourism” wherever he travels and “gets a lot of press.”
“We are here for you,” said Hanlon. Freeholders know she said that she is only “a phone or text away.” She mentioned enjoying stays at Congress Hall in Cape May and meals at Lobster House. I have great memories here,” she added.
Thornton interjected of Guadagno’s Cape May County visits, “Some months ago, the lieutenant governor was on her way to Cape May to give a speech. And all of a sudden, on the way back from Cape May, she decided she wanted to stop in and see Diane Wieland.” Someone hurried called his office and told him Guadagno was in the building.
He rushed to meet her to learn, “She just stopped in to see Diane,” said Thornton.
Dr. Richard Perniciaro, of Atlantic Cape Community College, gave some projections, based on surveys of probably tourists to the area.
“Gas prices are going down, and probably will do down more,” he said. “Gas prices should behave through summer. We are in a better position than the past few years when (gas) prices go up in summer.
The county may see an increase from visitors who would ordinarily visit Monmouth County, he said.
Many repeat visitors who have already planned reservations will vacation in the county. There may be more from northern Jersey and New York, he said. “Some folks will move further south if they can’t find lodging up there good enough for a vacation,” Perniciaro said.
“The recession is ending, employment is better,” he noted. Much spending by vacationers will be tied to the national economy, he noted.
“You will get a bump upwards from the national economy,” he said.
Baby boomers, many of whom own second homes locally, are growing a bit older, he added. The housing market “is returning” albeit “a little slower.”
Homes in place on the “high end are doing fairly well and investors are back in the market,” Perniciaro stated. South Jersey still lags behind in the employment field.
“You have not done all that well in employment in the region,” he said.
“Unemployment is a drag on the region,” he said. What is being experienced after seven years of recession, he noted, is “a pent-up demand as balance sheets get back and 401Ks are better.”
“As those things happen, they will make home buying decisions. They will be back,” he said.
To chase the image that lodging may be difficult to find, Perniciaro said Atlantic City has done a lot of marketing to promote its rooms being available.
Sea Isle City has a billboard by the Lincoln Tunnel stating it is ready for visitors.
He cited a survey of visitors which indicated 87.5 percent were not considering changing their vacation plans due to lodging concerns like 11 percent said they were.
Wieland noted that the recent survey indicated 76 percent of tourists said they planned to take more than one vacation a year. Many of them are grandparents who are taking grandchildren along for that second vacation.
Some stated they will be returning to the county for special events and weekends. It is what Wieland termed, “The Boomerang Campaign” since it focuses on enticing tourists for a later-year vacation.
Marketing is being done to vacationers “while they are here,” to promote those fall events.
Why do visitors plan to stay in Cape May County?
* 88 percent for beach
* 83 percent are return visitors
* 26 percent stay seven days, while the national trend is 3.5 days.
* 38 percent have combined family incomes between $75,000 and $125,000 annually.
* 43 percent of vacation planners are women.
* 44 percent visited historic or cultural attractions.
* 23 percent plan to spend more this year than in 2012.
* 42 percent have been vacationing in Cape May County for over 20 years.
“They love it here. They have emotional ties. They have done something with the family, and that is what brings them back here year after year,” said Wieland.
Occupancy tax, the thing that generated $9.4 million for the state last year in Cape May County alone, is supposed to fuel the promotion of tourism. But, said Wieland, the county gets only 15 percent of that in return from the state.
“What can people do to help the county get its fair share of dollars returned here?” asked Robert Ashman of Stone Harbor.
“Pay attention,” she said, “Legislators need to know it is not a secret…We don’t know where the other 60 percent goes,” she added.
“What can the freeholders do?” Ashman asked. Would the board put together an “action plan” instead of saying “talk about it?”
Wieland replied “We go up and testify and try to get more dollars. It’s disheartening. We testify before an Assembly or Senate committee and explain to them how the whole thing works. They are sitting on the boards and committees and they don’t know how it works,” Wieland said.
Clark urged everyone in the room to advocate for an increase in return of that tax. She noted that only 20 percent of the legislators in Trenton are from South Jersey, the other 80 percent “are from North Jersey. They do not understand.”