Diversification Key To Future Tourism At Jersey Shore, Panel Says

Diversification is the key to attracting visitors to the Jersey Shore and convincing them to stay longer, a group of panelists said at the 10th annual Jersey Shorecast, held Tuesday at Stockton Seaview Hotel & Golf Club in Galloway Township. It will also help extend the tourism season in general.

This includes sports betting, but also e-sports, sports tourism, beverage tourism, eco-tourism, retail, entertainment, and building the family market, panelists said at the event, which was sponsored by the Lloyd D. Levenson Institute for Gaming, Hospitality and Tourism at Stockton University.

“After Taj Mahal and Showboat closed we knew we had to do something different,” Steel Pier Associates owner and managing partner Anthony Catanoso said. “We know the market is there if we give them a reason to come.”

That reason was the new enclosed Observation Wheel, which can operate year-round and give visitors a unique experience.

“People still want family entertainment,” Catanoso said of the rides and improvements at Steel Pier. He said he and his family never gave up on Atlantic City, a place he has loved since he was a kid and saw Diana Ross and the Supremes perform. “We do what we have to do to compete.”

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The theme of diversification continued with a panel discussion on the upcoming season and an analysis of last year. Cape May County Department of Tourism Director Diane Wieland said last summer’s weather affected business, but the county saw increases in the fall and winter. She and others said people are taking shorter visits, and extending the season is one way to get people to return.

“We are doing an intensive fall campaign but we have to let people know there is plenty to do,” Wieland said. “An event is not just competitors, but also their families, friends and supporters. We are one of the top three birding spots in North America and you can do that and still also have a spa and great dining.”
With people staying shorter periods, offering events and activities that can lure visitors in the middle of the week is also a growing market. Hard Rock was praised for booking entertainment on more than just weekends.

“Mid-week is a struggle,” Stockton Seaview Hotel & Golf Club Director of Sales and Marketing Mike Tidwell said. “Golf is our big draw for repeat business.”

He said the wedding business is strong, but people are staying for less time, and making reservations more at the last minute than planning in advance.

Beverage tourism with wineries and distilleries is growing, as is sports and eco-tourism.

The potential impact of sports betting on the future was also discussed. Panelists agreed sports betting would be welcome, but likely as part of a larger package of entertainment, and there are still a lot of unknowns about how it will be implemented.

“We are in uncharted waters,” said Jim Ziereis, vice president of Hotel Sales for Tropicana Atlantic City. “(Sports betting) is not a big revenue producer, but it drives overnight stays, or weekend stays. It’s a part of the overall experience.”

E-sports is also a growing market, both with those who like to play tournaments, and those who like to watch, according to Meet AC President and CEO Jim Wood. Meet AC is Atlantic City’s Tourism Economic Development Corporation.

“This is a whole new business opportunity we’re looking at,” said Wood, who added that Atlantic City has booking conventions through 2025.

“A win for us is if they come for a convention, then come back with their families,” Ziereis said.
Stockton University professor of Hospitality and Tourism Management Studies Brian Tyrrell said the opening of the Hard Rock and Ocean Resort should increase lodging revenue overall for the city, but extending the season and offering more mid-week options will also be crucial to revenue.

“It provides more options, which is wonderful,” Tyrrell said of the two new properties. “It also puts pressure on the existing operators to upgrade.”

Tyrell and Wieland both said more visitors are using online travel agents or OTAs like, Airbnb and VRBO to book their stays at homes and condos rather than using traditional real estate agents or hotel sites, which has generated the question of the impact on occupancy tax revenue.

Wood said a survey they did with one convention found that participants had stayed at 32 different properties rather than just the three hotels that had reserved blocks of rooms for the event.

“Hotels are trying harder now to get direct to customers and not use the OTA,” Levenson Institute Executive Director Rummy Pandit said.

In response to questions, panelists said it is too early to speculate on the potential for marijuana tourism.
Wood said expanding the airport remains a challenge because carriers want subsidies to operate out of Atlantic City.

Tyrrell said that is happening on a micro-scale with individual businesses and events like Little Water Distillery, development on Tennessee Avenue and the upcoming 48 Blocks citywide arts celebration event in June.

The attached image was provided: Jersey Shorecast panelists, from left, Brian Tyrrell, professor of Hospitality and Tourism Management Studies at Stockton University, Diane Wieland, director of the Cape May County Department of Tourism, Mike Tidwell, director of sales and marketing at Stockton Seaview Hotel & Golf Club, Jim Ziereis, vice president of hotel sales for Tropicana Atlantic City, and Jim Wood, president and CEO of Meet AC.