Wildwoods’ Tourism Officials Hope Crowds Will Visit

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WILDWOOD – Wildwoods’ tourism officials met the Greater Wildwoods Chamber of Commerce March 11, as a potential tourism crisis loomed, as the coronavirus pandemic continued to escalate.
A bottle of hand sanitizer was available at the chamber’s reception table, at Duffinetti’s Restaurant, and Lounge, which hosted the luncheon. Many chamber members and guests refused to shake hands, fearing the spread of the virus.
Diane Wieland, the county’s tourism and public information director, the final speaker, was the first of the presenters to utter the word “coronavirus,” perhaps a term as toxic to tourism as the virus is to humans.
John Lynch, director of sales and entertainment for the Wildwoods Convention Center, announced the first major cancellation, Special Olympics games, expected to bring 1,000 people to town at the end of March.
County
“The coronavirus is something that we all need to be concerned about,” Wieland said.
Wieland, attempting to focus on the positive, said that the Canadian media market is not as saturated with coronavirus news as the American market is, and she was hopeful the virus would not affect tourism from north of the border.
The county targets a radius of over 300 miles for marketing, as well as Canada, she said. Canadians represent 9% of the county’s total tourists and spent about $139 million last year, according to Wieland.
“I talked to our PR (public relations) person in Canada, as well as a friend from one of the radio stations up there. In Canada, they’re not really talking about (coronavirus), so we’re hoping it’s not going to impact reservations [Canadians] are making,” Wieland said.
With the current exchange rate, Canadians lose 25 cents on every dollar, so the pressure is on to make them feel it is worth it to travel to America for a vacation, especially when virus fears mean domestic tourism could be down.
The county had an office in Canada, but it works with a Canadian public relations representative and targets Canadians through public relations, not advertising.
Wieland also discussed other marketing efforts, including trying to build offseason business, with the “warm and cozy” campaign. 
Last year, almost half of the visitors the county had in the summer returned in the fall, according to Wieland. The winter is another season that the county is trying to grow, with 11.5% of last year’s summer visitors returning in winter.
Wildwood 
Wildwood Commissioner Krista Fitzsimons opened the event talking about major new events which take place this year in June, a much slower month than July and August for tourism.
“An historic June for the City of Wildwood. One that we have never seen. We are all bracing ourselves, but very hopeful and very excited about what this summer is to bring to Wildwood,” Fitzsimons said. “We are looking forward to a very prosperous June.”
Wildwood will welcome fighter and acrobatic pilots to its skies this year. “Starting June 5-7, Wildwood will host the inaugural Wildwood Air Show. The event takes place up in the sky over the beaches of Wildwood and North Wildwood,” said Fitzsimons.
The air show is a free event. There are VIP seats and tickets available including drinks, food, and seating, Fitzsimons said.
She also touched on the country music festival on the beach, from June 19-21, headlined by Blake Shelton, Carrie Underwood, and Dan and Shay. Fitzsimons said another headliner will soon be announced.
“This three-day concert is expected to bring well over 100,000 people into the Wildwoods, which I would guess, most of which would be new visitors,” Fitzsimons said. “I believe these two events will change the face of June. Not just this year, but moving forward.”
Wildwood Crest 
Brian Cunniff, Wildwood Crest’s public information officer, updated on improvements to the New Jersey Avenue business district, including the prospect of making a major change to the historically dry town.
“There is a possibility – it would only come through referendum – of adding a liquor consumption license to that area,” Cunniff said. “If that does happen, we would have some hotel and motels that because of the size and the number of sleeping units, they have would also qualify to receive a liquor license.”
“It could change the town,” Cunniff said. A second stakeholder meeting will be March 28 at Wildwood Crest’s firehouse and is open for all to attend.
Cunniff also touched on Sunset Lake improvements (http://bit.ly/3cPRRsy), which will allow for more events on the waterfront. 
He added that the Rambler Road beach entrance has improved ADA access and added a lifeboat for family photos. 
Sunrise Park improvements (http://bit.ly/2SS3kzZ), which are awaiting a CAFRA permit, could be delayed until next year.
Cunniff touched on Wildwood Crest’s full slate of summer activities as well as events the borough adds in May and June to try to draw people to town, such as basketball and volleyball tournaments.
“Every year, we’re trying to add more and more to what we do in Wildwood Crest. We recognize that the business community really appreciates the efforts that the municipalities make in trying to enhance tourism through events,” Cunniff said.
North Wildwood 
Steve DE Horsey, assistant superintendent of recreation and director of tourism for North Wildwood, talked about the process of rescheduling recurring events and working with new event planners to promote tourism for the city.
Large events, like the Irish Festival and Boots at the Beach, and smaller events, such as the food truck festival, National Night Out and the bonfire on the beach, were among the events DeHorsey highlighted.
He said that the city gets a lot of inquiries to film movies, commercials, television and documentaries in North Wildwood.
He also touched on holiday events, including the upcoming St. Patrick’s Day Parade (http://bit.ly/2xu5AoG), the Christmas parade and the Easter egg hunt.
“We have a ton of parades, we’ve been called the ‘parade capital of the East Coast,’” DeHorsey said.
To contact Shay Roddy, email sroddy@cmcherald.com.