Ocean City Beach Tag Revenue Down, Overall Solid Season

By Maddy Vitale With throngs of bathers on the beaches of Ocean City on any given day, you wouldn’t think beach tag sales were down from the year before. However, there was a slight dip, largely blamed on rainy forecasts, explained Frank Donato, the city’s chief financial officer. Through July 31, beach tag sales totaled $3.4 million, down about $68,000 from the same time last year. August figures are not yet available.   “Last year was more of a rainy July and August than what we were used to, and there was more rain this July and August than what we are used to,” Donato said of two years of decreases in beach tag revenue. Preliminarily, he said, sales are off for daily tag sales - the day trippers. “That seemed to be the trend last year, too,” he noted. “We are consistent with seasonal and weekly tags.” People wait in line recently to purchase their daily beach tags. Rainy weather seemed to have impacted beach tag sales more than revenue generated through parking. “We are probably going to be a little short of $4 million this year for beach tag sales,” Donato said. While daily beach tag sales were down, people still love visiting and vacationing in “America’s Greatest Family Resort” because of all of the activities offered, which explains why parking revenue is remaining steady, and prices have not increased, nor has there been any additional parking lots added, he said. “As of July, we were at just about $1.8 million in revenue, compared to last July 31, when we were at $1.69 million,” Donato said of parking. “We are seeing that the parking is hanging in there, despite the weather, because Ocean City has so many events, between the downtown, Boardwalk, Chamber of Commerce, the Farmers Market, Mummers night, there is still a lot for people to do.” Besides the beaches, Ocean City's Boardwalk is a magnet for vacationers and residents to enjoy. Despite a decrease in beach tag sales this summer, Ocean City still tops all of the other shore towns in the state in beach tag revenue, often coming in at or near the $4 million mark. In 2015, a banner season for Ocean City, tag sales totaled a record $4.2 million. Donato said the city’s 7-mile-long beachfront, which is much bigger than neighboring towns, allows it to handle enormous crowds. At the peak of summer, an estimated 150,000 vacationers visit Ocean City, a community with roughly 11,000 year-round residents. “At $4 million, (in beach tag revenue) we have the biggest program in the state. A couple of towns are in the $3 million range. Sea Isle is our closest competitor in Cape May County,” Donato said. “But you have to keep in mind, we are triple the size of Sea Isle, as big as the Wildwoods put together, or Avalon and Stone Harbor put together. It is all relative.” Frank Donato, chief financial officer, says Ocean City's 7-mile-long beachfront helps to attract enormous crowds. While figures aren’t yet available for August, Donato summed up what he predicts about the summer of 2018. “It is definitely not going to be one of our best ones,” he said, adding that it is still a good season. “Going back to 2015 is where we peaked. I don’t remember it raining on any of the weekends.”