The beaches are the centerpiece of the Jersey Shore's summer tourism market.
Economic uncertainty is the chief concern for businesses at the Jersey Shore this summer, while regional tourism experts remain optimistic about modest gains over last year.
Uncertainty about the economy, labor market and international travel dominated the discussion Wednesday at the 17th annual Jersey Shorecast, sponsored by the Lloyd D. Levenson Institute of Gaming, Hospitality and Tourism (LIGHT) at the Stockton University School of Business.
Panelists reflected a cross-section of hospitality and tourism from Atlantic and Cape May counties.
They included Karina Anthony, executive director of marketing at Visit Atlantic City; Oliver Cooke, associate professor of economics at Stockton and editor of the South Jersey Economic Review; Joann DelVescio, executive director of New Jersey Campground Owners and Outdoor Lodging Association; and Ben Rose, director of marketing and public relations for the Greater Wildwoods Tourism Authority
Before the discussion, LIGHT Faculty Director Jane Bokunewicz presented statistics from a “less robust” 2024 season that was marred by the cancellation of the Visit Atlantic City Airshow and absence of beach concerts.
Total gross gaming revenue from the Atlantic City casinos was down 0.2 percent from 2023, average total employment for the season declined nearly 1 percent, and 0.4 percent fewer vehicles passed through the Atlantic City Expressway Pleasantville Toll Plaza compared to the prior year.
Bokunewicz said Atlantic City casinos are reporting record internet gaming, which has surpassed brick-and-mortar gaming revenue, but are seeing a slight decline in net revenue due to fewer hotel stays.
Atlantic City's casinos are looking for a stronger 2025 compared to a slight decline in total gaming revenue last year. (Photo courtesy of Casino Reinvestment Development Authority)Anthony noted that increased events planned in Atlantic City, as well as a marketing campaign highlighting surrounding amenities such as wineries and golf courses, are intended to combat last summer’s lackluster numbers.
“We are focusing on more and new events in Atlantic City and promoting experiences, the memory-making moment you can have in Atlantic City,” Anthony said.
Rose said the Wildwoods are centering messages on affordability.
“Visitors may go out to dinner one or two nights a week instead of four or five, but they're looking for authentic experiences, and they're looking for things that the family can do that don't cost a lot of money,” Rose said.
“We're promoting our affordability in the Wildwoods, and all the free things there are to do with free concerts three nights a week, our free beaches and affordable attractions and affordable hotel rooms,” added Rose, who expects to see a 3 percent increase over the record 2024 summer.
Following is a recap of some of the questions and answers from the panel:
How did the local tourism industry perform in 2024?
Ben Rose: “Last summer we had a 5 percent increase over 2023, and 2023 was a record year. So, we did fairly well, but not as well as projected. The average length of stay is down over previous years, and that's a trend going forward. We see the average length of stay of around 3.5 days. People are taking more frequent vacations, but they're taking shorter vacations. So, you have that occupancy midweek that isn't filled. I think they'll have to do better at running specials and filling that occupancy midweek.”
Joann DelVescio: “2021 and 2022 were incredible. We leveled off in 2024. We probably didn't do as well as expected, but a lot of that had to do with the weather last year, especially in the camping industry.”
Oliver Cooke: “2021 and 2022 were obviously huge bounce-back years. There was enormous pent-up demand. I think that we're kind of at this point where we're trying to figure out post-COVID, are we going to get back to where we were? We're still not yet back to where we were in 2019 employment-wise.”
Thousands of country music fans will pack Wildwood's beach for the Barefoot Country Music Fest June 19-22. (Photo credit: Chris Willenbrock, Willenbrock Photography)How would you describe the region’s current economic circumstances?
DelVescio: “I think we have the best beaches and Boardwalk in the entire country. I think that it’s always going to be a huge attraction to come to New Jersey, whether you're staying in Atlantic City, Wildwood or whether you're camping. There's that memory of when you were younger and you came to the Jersey Shore. That's still resonating with folks today.”
Karina Anthony: “What we're doing is we're doing a lot of regional marketing to New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, and we are seeing an uptick in extended stays. We're really looking to increase that one-night stay to two or three nights.”
Rose: “I think you can sum it up with one word: uncertainty. Right now, people are uncertain what the economy is going to be in the next several months. They're waiting to make their vacation plans. They're booking closer to time of departure than ever."
Do you feel concerns about the 2024 season will continue to have an impact on 2025 summer tourism?
Anthony: “We have to bring new events and reimagine current events. We have, for example, the Soar & Shore Festival that we’re bringing. Instead of two days of the air show, it's a week-long event. We're putting everything together, having people extend their stays and diversifying our offerings here in Atlantic City, because I think we need to have various amenities to combat new casinos opening up around us. I think it's important to highlight your offerings in a new way to have people think differently.”
DelVescio: “There are events that (the camping community) are very attuned to that are happening, and that's when they want to come and stay. Seventy-five percent of the campgrounds in New Jersey are located in Cape May and Atlantic counties. There are about 13,000 campsites in those two counties.”
Rose: “We have over 165 events and festivals each year. We use our events mainly to extend the season. Right now, we have our season extended well into October. The Barefoot Country Music Fest has a tremendous economic impact. Not only does it make an economic impact at the beginning of the summer in the shoulder season, but it does introduce a lot of new people to the Wildwoods. Hopefully, they'll come back and vacation there.”
Panelists at the Jersey Shorecast conference make their predictions for the 2025 tourism season. (Photo courtesy of Stacey Clapp/Stockton University)Looking into the future, are there new challenges/new opportunities to consider in 2025?
DelVescio: “We're seeing that our demographics are starting to skew younger. We need to make sure that the experience that they're looking for is one that they're going to want to continue to have as they move forward. The average age (of a campground visitor) has dropped by 15 years.”
Anthony: “In Atlantic City, I think that beautification is a challenge and an opportunity. We have had beach replenishment. We've had road repaving. We have a banner program on Pacific Avenue. Different properties are updating their facades. I think that's really important.”
Rose: “We've gone from a 10-week season basically to a nine-month season in the Wildwoods, starting in early March with major events in the Convention Center going straight through to November. And now we have a complete program of holiday events, and we take advantage of all the second homeowners that are in Cape May County.”
Cooke: “We might actually be in this kind of relatively sweet spot before (economic policy shifts) really start to have an impact, which I'm guessing is probably happening later in the fall. Prices don't just pop up overnight. This takes a long time for this stuff to kind of leak in.”
