The New Jersey tourism industry is on the rise according to Grace Hanlon, the executive director of the Division of Travel and Tourism. She told NJ Today Managing Editor Mike Schneider that summer sales were strong and she looks forward to upcoming fall events. While some have criticized the progress of Atlantic City, Hanlon said turning the city around will take time.
Hanlon said beach badge sales were up across the board from Cape May to Sandy Hook, which is a good sign. She also said hotel occupancy was up overall, with Wildwood seeing a 30 percent increase. “I’m really happy about it,” she said of the summer.
WATCH VIDEO:
Atlantic City’s progress has been on the minds of many and Hanlon said the process will take time. She fully supports moving forward from gambling and making Atlantic City a family destination, keeping in mind the beach it offers as well as other activities like golfing. “We see the other resources around Atlantic City. We’re doing our best to promote them, but it’s going to take time to turn this around,” she said. “I just really encourage people to be patient.”
Some have said Las Vegas spends about $60 million promoting itself while Atlantic City spends about $3 million. Hanlon said the promotional spending for Atlantic City has increased. “Dollars have been allocated to Atlantic City and I really do believe everybody’s working hard, but again it’s just going to have to take some time,” she said.
With summer over and fall here, Hanlon said New Jersey is still a great place to visit. “You get to stay in the hotels where the rates are better but you can still sit on the beach all day and have a beautiful day,” she said. “We’ve got terrific festivals and events going on in New Jersey this fall.”
The tourism website — visitnj.org — lists statewide events for visitors and Hanlon said the events are also promoted through Facebook and Twitter.
“Right now we’re working very closely with the New Jersey Sports and Exhibition Authority so that we can really bring more of these great events into New Jersey, help execute them so that they go well and we’re really excited about these events,” Hanlon said. “People come in, they enjoy the event and they spend money and it creates great experiences.”