Chamber of Commerce Summit Showcases Strong Ocean City Tourism

By MADDY VITALE A pandemic couldn’t do it. Some difficulty getting seasonal workers didn’t even do it. Beaches, an ocean, tons of shopping and eateries continued to keep Ocean City thriving even throughout a pandemic. While the resort had some troubles, like other communities throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, especially in 2020, the numbers show that Ocean City is rebounding from some trying times. Jeff Vasser, executive director of the New Jersey Division of Travel and Tourism, was the featured speaker Thursday at the Ocean City Regional Chamber of Commerce Business Summit. “Overall, it was a great summer all the way around in all four counties,” Vasser told the audience at the Ocean City Yacht Club. And the proof is in the numbers. Tourism brought in $37.3 billion in the state. Of the $37.3 billion, Cape May County accounts for $6.6 billion of that figure for tourism visitor spending. Neighboring Atlantic County is $6.9 billion. “People know the iconic Jersey Shore,” Vasser noted. Vasser discussed trends in tourism, visitor spending, the tourism economy, and key local, regional and state issues to watch. In fact, there were 28,304 jobs during the strong tourism season in Cape May County in 2021, the latest report findings. A slide from the presentation highlights the number of employees in Cape May County during the tourism season. Michele Gillian, executive director of the Chamber of Commerce, said Vasser, of Linwood, knows and cares about the area. He was also the featured speaker during the 2019 Business Summit. Ocean City holds a special place in Vasser’s heart. He grew up in Margate and lives in Linwood, but his children have worked in the resort and love it. “Having a representative like Jeff Vasser for Ocean City gives us a great representative in Trenton. He is an important department head and we are fortunate to have him. He is a part of the community,” Gillian said. “Events like today’s luncheon are good for the business community. We get together and find out about resources from the state’s Division of Tourism.” While pre-COVID tourism represented the No. 3 largest part of the economy in the state, it fell to ninth in 2021 because of variables, namely the fallout effect of the COVID-19 pandemic. But Vasser said the tourism economy is coming back in a big way. The record was $46 billion in 2019, and while it is down compared to 2019, 2021 represented a 27 percent increase over 2020, he emphasized. He said in comparison to other counties, Cape May County suffered a much “smaller negative impact” than in other counties in the state. Members of the business community listen to the presentation. Vasser attributed some of its positive growth to a great marketing team. “Cape May County did a great job in marketing,” he said. In 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Vasser said that Cape May County had 10 million visitors to the resort communities. “Congrats to all,” he said. “We are recovering faster.” He emphasized that to continue the momentum, tourism should continue to be the focal point when promoting the barrier islands. The total budget formerly was $9 million for the state’s tourism industry, and it is now $20 million, giving the state more leeway to do more with and for the coastal communities and the rest of the counties, he said. The target audiences continue to be metro New York City, Philadelphia, the shore, west into Ohio, New England, Canada and also Ireland, the United Kingdom and Germany. “All of these folks are interested in going to New Jersey,” he said. Gillian noted that visitors from New York are up 40 percent. “People from New York are here,” she said. To view Vasser’s presentation, copy this link into your browser. file:///C:/Users/Maddy/Downloads/2022%20Ocean%20City%20Impact%2010-18-22%20(1).pdf For more information about the Chamber of Commerce visit www.OceanCityVacation.com and to visit New Jersey’s Division of Travel and Tourism go to www.visitnj.org. Jeff Vasser holds parting gifts alongside Michele Gillian.