TRENTON, NJ: Helped by beautiful weather during both Memorial Day Weekend and this past weekend, along with high consumer interest, the New Jersey Division of Travel & Tourism is reporting that the summer season has gotten off to a very strong start.
“We’re hearing from communities throughout the Jersey Shore that the 2019 summer season is off to a great start,” said Secretary of State Tahesha Way. “While we have been anticipating a robust season based upon visitor interest and the momentum we’ve been seeing year to year, these first few weeks have exceeded our expectations. This is a great time to be in the New Jersey tourism industry and we’re hopeful for continued positive business growth ahead.”
Some examples of feedback from shore communities include:
- Belmar: Noted a busy Memorial Day weekend with 21,350 beach badges sold over the weekend, which includes daily, senior and seasonal badges.
- Bradley Beach: Sold nearly $50,000 more in daily beach badges this Memorial Day Weekend compared to last year. Bradley Beach also had “Memorial Day Fest” all three days, with vendors lining the boardwalk.
- Cape May County: Memorial Day Weekend surpassed expectations. Visitors started arriving on Thursday with a majority staying at hotels and motels on the barrier islands. Food and beverage, retail, and lodging all reported record Memorial Day crowds and occupancy was at capacity.
- Lavallette: Locals reported best holiday weekend ever with realtors also seeing a huge shift in rental values.
- Long Branch: Noted this was one of the best Memorial Day Weekends in years with more people estimated to be in Long Branch over Memorial Day weekend than July 4th weekend last year.
- Manasquan: Sold approximately 3,100 daily badges on Sunday during Memorial Day weekend which is more like a weekend in July.
- Jenkinson’s Pt. Pleasant: Reported best Memorial Day Weekend business in memory.
- Seaside Heights: Reported Memorial Day Weekend beach and parking revenues strongly exceeded 2018.
The positive numbers come on the heels of Governor Phil Murphy and Secretary of State Way recently announcing that, in 2018, visitation to New Jersey rose to nearly 111 million people, an increase of 7.4 percent from 2017. State officials also announced a goal to draw 150 million visitors by 2023.
“We’ve never been more excited about tourism in New Jersey,” said Jeffrey Vasser Executive Director, New Jersey Division of Travel and Tourism. “With new hotels, investment in product improvements by our industry partners, and aggressive marketing efforts, we feel that our industry is in a great position to continue to grow and thrive.”
About New Jersey
New Jersey offers a wide variety of experiences to visitors all year long. Visitors can enjoy outdoor adventures, renowned culinary offerings, educational opportunities, and a strong arts and cultural scene. With numerous state and national parks, beaches, skiing, tax free shopping, historic sites, museums and more New Jersey blends together its rich history and exciting present. Home to the nation’s first beach resorts and the birthplace of major inventions, New Jersey offers a picturesque escape and dynamic opportunities for visitors from near and far. For more information, visit www.visitnj.org.
