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The basics:

• Visit Atlantic City expands marketing beyond casino tourism
• Record convention business, strong hotel booking growth continue
• New events, sports attractions and Taste Atlantic City boost visitation
• Enhanced air service, FIFA World Cup activations aim to extend stays

Atlantic City‘s tourism and entertainment strategy is evolving beyond its casino roots, as Visit Atlantic City ramps up a wider regional branding effort centered on major events, entertainment, dining and experiential travel throughout South Jersey.

Gary Musich took over as president and CEO of Visit Atlantic City in January 2025. He described to NJBIZ an organization that has spent the past year-plus expanding its reach beyond traditional casino marketing through new tourism campaigns, large-scale events, regional partnerships and destination development initiatives.

Visit Atlantic City last year integrated the DO AC brand and assets under the unified Visit Atlantic City name. That move combined leisure and meetings marketing and communications efforts under a single destination brand and messaging strategy. “We haven’t really stopped, because we have our arms around so many different things right now, for the right reasons,” Musich said. “This is what destination marketing is. It’s not one thing.”

That strategy appears to be producing results. Musich said the organization’s revamped website and booking engine exceeded expectations in its first year. Visit Atlantic City recorded more than 102,000 hotel room bookings through the platform, despite the website not operating for a full calendar year in its current form.

“Our measuring stick is how many rooms were booked through our booking engine on our website,” Musich said. “It’s double what we thought. I thought our expectations were high for the first year.”

Getting the word out

The organization has also dramatically expanded its visibility through targeted marketing campaigns, including a New Year’s Eve presence in Times Square and broader out-of-home advertising efforts. “You see us everywhere now. Our marketing team has done a spectacular job utilizing the funds. We don’t have a big budget. We’re using it in a very smart way,” said Musich of the organization, which is funded through the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority.

Visit Atlantic City’s convention and meetings business also posted a record year in 2025. And the early numbers suggest continued momentum. According to the group, Atlantic City hosted 18 events, conventions and conferences during the first quarter of 2026, generating 38,833 booked room nights and drawing nearly 160,000 attendees for an estimated economic impact of roughly $20 million. Visit Atlantic City also projected another 17 major events and conferences this spring and summer, including the Atlantic City Beer & Music Festival, the ShopRite LPGA Classic, the Police Security Expo and the Soar & Shore Airshow.

A major part of Atlantic City’s strategy focuses on expanding and diversifying its lineup of events. Among the biggest additions was the revival of the city’s air show through the new Soar & Shore Festival, which returned for a second year May 28–31 and continued the city’s effort to build a broader, multiday tourism experience around the longtime aviation showcase.

Musich said the reimagined format was specifically designed to generate overnight stays during traditionally softer tourism periods while creating more opportunities for visitors beyond the beach itself.

“We were very happy with year one. None of us has ever done this before,” he said. “If you’re a show producer and you’re new to something, you draw 150,000 people, and you’re running around with your arms up.”

Partnerships take flight

This year’s expanded festival included additional public activations at Atlantic City International Airport, where visitors were able to meet pilots and view aircraft up close ahead of the aerial performances over the beach and Boardwalk.

While organizers continue to pursue the eventual return of elite military jet teams, such as the Blue Angels or Thunderbirds, Musich said keeping the event on a weekend schedule is essential to driving tourism during need periods. He described it as pushing events into need periods such as the weekend after Memorial Day – a rainy holiday this year.

Atlantic City is also building momentum through partnerships with promoters and entertainment companies. Musich pointed to the city’s relationship with Live Nation as a major example, citing the successful Joe Russo’s Almost Dead concert and upcoming beach concerts featuring global artists including Shakira and RÜFÜS DU SOL.

“Relationships are everything,” Musich said. “That’s the thing we’re working really hard on.”

The broader summer entertainment lineup also includes performances from artists and entertainers such as Keith Urban, Nick Jonas, Charlie Puth, Nikki Glaser and Journey across casino properties and venues throughout the city.

Relationships are everything. That’s the thing we’re working really hard on.
– Gary Musich, president and CEO, Visit Atlantic City

Good sports

Atlantic City is also seeing renewed momentum in sports and entertainment tourism. Last month, WWE announced the return of televised events to the resort town for the first time since 2008, with a double taping of Monday Night Raw and Friday Night SmackDown scheduled for June 29 at Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall. The announcement was made in partnership with Visit Atlantic City, the Atlantic City Sports Commission and Oak View Group.

“From legendary WrestleMania moments to today’s world-class performances, Atlantic City continues to deliver dynamic, year-round experiences for visitors,” Musich said in a statement announcing the event. “Hosting Monday Night Raw at Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall underscores our commitment to bringing globally recognized events and reinforces the energy, excitement, and nonstop entertainment that define Atlantic City.”

The city also continues to host major boxing events, offshore fishing tournaments and emerging attractions such as ESPN-featured “Slippery Stairs” competitions.

“That diversity in entertainment drives everything,” said Musich. “And that’s what we’re trying to do here. It’s soccer games, it’s concerts, it’s good food, it’s boat races, it’s Steel Pier. It’s all these different things. And that’s how you extend the stay and how you create a different experience here.”

On the menu

One of Visit Atlantic City’s most ambitious recent projects was the transformation of the city’s former Restaurant Week into a larger culinary platform called Taste Atlantic City. Musich said the event was modeled after successful destination dining programs such as Miami Spice and Taste Houston. The results exceeded expectations.

“We created Taste Atlantic City, and in the first year we increased our participants by 35%,” said Musich. The program expanded to approximately 80 participating restaurants and lengthened from a traditional weeklong promotion into a monthlong culinary campaign.

Visit Atlantic City also partnered with Stockton University to study the program’s impact. According to Musich, roughly 70% of attendees stayed overnight, while charitable fundraising connected to the initiative – Let Them Eat – also increased significantly.

“The donation to the food bank to support Let Them Eat was up 20%,” said Musich.

The organization has since trademarked Taste Atlantic City and expanded it into a broader merchandising and branding initiative. “We’ve created a true new brand for the city that’s not just driving restaurant covers,” said Musich. “It’s driving messaging and branding and visitation.”

Getting to AC

Another major focus area for tourism strategy involves expanded air service at Atlantic City International Airport. The facility has faced significant transition following the collapse of major operations by Spirit Airlines earlier this spring, long one of the airport’s dominant carriers. But Musich said local leaders have moved aggressively to stabilize and grow service through partnerships with Breeze Airways, Allegiant Air and regional stakeholders.

“Nobody wants to see Spirit go,” said Musich, describing it as a loss for the airport. “But with that, our partnerships now are proving to be the right partnership.”

Breeze Airways, which flew its first flight out of ACY in May to Charleston, had already announced additional routes before even fully launching operations at the airport, expanding service to Raleigh-Durham and Tampa. And immediately following the Spirit shutdown, Breeze announced upcoming routes to Orlando, Myrtle Beach, Fort Myers, and West Palm Beach.

Allegiant began ACY service in December and now offers several options, including to Fort Lauderdale, Orlando/Sanford, Punta Gorda, St. Pete-Clearwater and Myrtle Beach.

‘Convenience is everything’

Visit Atlantic City, the South Jersey Transportation Authority, and airport leadership have been coordinating strategy sessions with local business leaders and airline executives to strengthen long-term sustainability. “We’re all working on this to help build that,” said Musich.

The organization is also helping meeting and convention attendees navigate temporary disruptions caused by the Spirit transition through transportation partnerships connecting Atlantic City with Philadelphia International Airport.

Musich said one lesson from past airline efforts is the need to support outbound travel demand just as aggressively as inbound tourism. “In the history of Atlantic City, when we’ve had these opportunities, we didn’t take that approach,” he said. “I think it’s imperative. We all travel for business. Convenience is everything.”

He pointed to growing demand for secondary airports and cited the success of American Airlines’ landline service connecting Atlantic City passengers to the broader airline network. “There’s demand for the secondary airports,” Musich said.

He added that convenience and sustained community support will be critical to long-term success. “We’re using our marketing tools, social media — our communication process to talk to the local community about how important it is to use this airport,” said Musich. “We want sustainable service.”

Scoring soccer fans

Atlantic City is also positioning itself to benefit from the FIFA World Cup 2026 activity centered in the New York-New Jersey region.

While not hosting matches directly, the resort city plans to leverage its entertainment, dining and hospitality assets to attract visitors throughout the tournament period. Among the activations is the installation of a large Adidas World Cup soccer ball display on the Boardwalk near Bally’s.

“We’re one of the cities that have been chosen to display that,” Musich said.

 

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Visit Atlantic City is coordinating with casinos, city officials and local partners to organize public watch parties, beach activations and entertainment programming tied to the tournament. Just last month, Visit Atlantic City received a grant as part of the state’s NJ World Cup Community Initiative for a Watch Party Combined with the Atlantic City Beach Fest (July 18–19, with the Final happening at MetLife Stadium July 19).

“The beach will be activated,” said Musich. “You’ll have casino properties showing these events.”

Atlantic City is also promoting a broader slate of sports-related tourism events this summer, including the Atlantic City Sports Offshore Grand Prix powerboat races, Jimmy Johnson’s “Quest for the Ring” Championship Fishing Week and the “Slippery Stairs” competition as part of a strategy to encourage longer visitor stays and more regional travel activity.

It all aligns with a broader tourism strategy centered on experiences and regional exploration. “People want experiential travel,” Musich said. “All this blends into this effort that we’ve put in over the past really, we’ll say 15 months.”

Betting on the casinos

Musich said Atlantic City is also benefiting from renewed reinvestment into casino properties.

Casino operators collectively have invested over $1 billion into property upgrades, hotel renovations, new restaurants and entertainment amenities over the past several years, including a recently announced $50 million tower renovation at Tropicana Atlantic City and $50 million in upgrades announced by Hard Rock Atlantic City.

“These properties, I would put them up against anything in any destination anywhere,” Musich said. “They’re that good.”

The push also extends beyond gaming floors and hotel towers, with resorts continuing to add new beach clubs, nightlife venues, outdoor entertainment spaces and dining concepts aimed at broadening the city’s appeal to a wider range of travelers.

Recent projects include major upgrades by Tropicana Atlantic City, along with the opening of boutique properties such as The Seahaus Hotel under the Marriott umbrella.

Settling down

At the same time, developers are increasingly pursuing residential and mixed-use projects throughout Atlantic City, including new housing developments, such as the recently unveiled The Residences at Orange Loop and commercial activity surrounding independent businesses like Anchor Rock Club. “You see these hubs starting to be developed,” said Musich.

Large developers, including Kushner Cos., have also announced new housing investments in the city. “All that plays into beautification overall,” Musich said. “You’ve got some open land here. We try to make it easier for a developer to come in. You’ve got to make it easier.”

Visit Atlantic City has also expanded its role in community engagement by adding positions focused on regional collaboration and live-work initiatives. “We are way stronger having a collective message and talking together about this,” said Musich.

Selling the experience

Ultimately, Musich said Atlantic City’s future depends on selling the entire South Jersey experience — not simply casinos or gaming. Visit Atlantic City increasingly promotes wineries, golf, ecotourism, fishing, outdoor recreation and nearby shore destinations as part of a broader tourism ecosystem. Particularly Atlantic City faces increasing regional competition, especially with the launch of gaming in New York City.

“When you look at that, you see wineries, you see ecotourism, you see boating, you see golf and leisure and things to extend your stay,” Musich stressed. “There’s more reasons to come to this region. We want you to gamble. We want you to enjoy entertainment, eat great food. We have all these things moving at the same time — and it’s to change your impression of why you come here.”

The strategy appears to be changing visitor behavior. Musich said searches on Visit Atlantic City’s website increasingly focus on two- and three-day trips rather than single overnight stays.

“That means people are looking at these other things to do,” he said, citing attractions such as Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge or Renault Winery or playing golf.

Increases in visitor stays can generate major economic returns. “Even a half-a-day is hundreds of millions of dollars in economic impact,” Musich said.

Extended stays

For Musich, the broader transformation underway in Atlantic City represents one of the most collaborative periods the region has experienced in decades. “It’s thrilling, to be honest with you,” he said. “We’ve never done it the way we’re doing it now.

“We are way, way stronger having a collective message and talking together about this.”

He harkened back to the wealth of offerings beyond just gambling — the variety of food, events and tourism options that the area boasts.  “And that diversity in entertainment drives everything – and that’s what we’re trying do here,” said Musich. “It’s the ‘Boots’ Ennis fight [one of the biggest boxing matches in 10 years which took place in Atlantic City last year]. It’s soccer games. It’s concerts. It’s good food. It’s boat races. It’s Steel Pier. It’s all these different things.

“And that’s, again, how you extend the stay – and how you create a different experience here.”