The basics:

• Stockton University panel discusses Jersey Shore tourism trends
• Economic uncertainty impacting vacation planning and booking patterns
• Atlantic City aims to rebound with new events and extended stays
• J-1 visa cuts and fewer Canadian visitors raise labor, travel concerns

While uncertainty over the economy, labor market and international travel remains a concern for businesses at the Jersey Shore, regional tourism experts expressed optimism about modest gains over last year.

During a May 21 panel at Stockton University’s campus in Atlantic City, participants reflected on the local industry’s performance in 2024, as well as how coastal communities in Atlantic and Cape May counties will fare in 2025.

Now in its 17th year, the Lloyd D. Levenson Institute of Gaming, Hospitality and Tourism (LIGHT) at Stockton University School of Business sponsored the “Jersey Shorecast.”

Ben Rose, director of marketing and public relations at the Greater Wildwoods Tourism Improvement and Development Authority, said, “I think you can sum it up with one word: uncertainty. Right now, people are uncertain what the economy is going to be in the next several months. They’re waiting to make their vacation plans. They’re booking closer to time of departure than ever.”

Oliver Cooke, an associate professor of economics at Stockton and editor of the South Jersey Economic Review, said he feels the industry “might actually be in this kind of relatively sweet spot” before economic policy shifts start to have an impact.

“Which, I’m guessing is probably happening later in the fall. Prices don’t just pop up overnight. This takes a long time for this stuff to kind of leak in,” he said.

Looking back

Cooke also noted, “It’s pretty clear that the overall pace of consumer spending slowed markedly from late 2024 to the first quarter of 2025. I think the general uncertainty that hangs over the economy has consumers worried. I think the big question is to what extent will they decide to pull back?”

According to LIGHT Faculty Director Jane Bokunewicz, 2024 was a “less robust” season for tourism due to the cancellation of the Visit Atlantic City Airshow and absence of beach concerts.

Total gross gaming revenue was down 0.2% from 2023, average total employment for the season declined nearly 1% and 0.4% fewer vehicles passed through the Atlantic City Expressway Pleasantville Toll Plaza compared to the prior year, she said.

Fewer hotel stays also caused a slight decline in net revenue for Atlantic City casinos and internet gaming has surpassed brick-and-mortar gaming revenue, Bokunewicz said.

In the Wildwoods, Rose said, “Last summer we had a 5% increase over 2023, and 2023 was a record year. So, we did fairly well, but not as well as projected. The average length of stay is down over previous years, and that’s a trend going forward. We see the average length of stay of around 3.5 days. People are taking more frequent vacations, but they’re taking shorter vacations. So, you have that occupancy midweek that isn’t filled.”

More summer fun

Visit Atlantic City Executive Director of Marketing Karina Anthony said increased events in Atlantic City, as well as a marketing campaign highlighting surrounding amenities such as wineries and golf courses, intend to combat last summer’s lackluster numbers.

“We are focusing on more and new events in Atlantic City and promoting experiences, the memory-making moment you can have in Atlantic City,” Anthony said. “… We have to bring new events and reimagine current events … for example, the Soar & Shore Festival that we’re bringing. Instead of two days of the air show, it’s a week-long event. We’re putting everything together, having people extend their stays and diversifying our offerings here in Atlantic City, because I think we need to have various amenities to combat new casinos opening up around us.

“I think it’s important to highlight your offerings in a new way to have people think differently.”

Rose said the Wildwoods centers messages on affordability.

“Visitors may go out to dinner one or two nights a week instead of four or five, but they’re looking for authentic experiences and they’re looking for things that the family can do that don’t cost a lot of money. We’re promoting our affordability in the Wildwoods, and all the free things there are to do with free concerts three nights a week, our free beaches and affordable attractions and affordable hotel rooms,” said Rose, who expects to see a 3% increase over the record 2024 summer.

Rose said the area’s 165-plus annual events and festivals have an economic impact as well as introduce newcomers to the Wildwoods.

Canada conundrum

“We’ve gone from a 10-week season basically to a nine-month season in the Wildwoods, starting in early March with major events in the Convention Center going straight through to November. And now we have a complete program of holiday events, and we take advantage of all the second homeowners that are in Cape May County,” he said.

Panelists also weighed in on how current foreign policy could impact the number of visitors and workers at the shore.

Anthony said, “We are seeing lead volume down in terms of meetings and events. It’s happening nationwide. It’s approximately 70% among larger destinations, and for us it’s about 50%. For example, we have stopped advertising in Canada. But we have diverted those funds to different types of advertising for our group tour markets.”

She went on to add, “We’re doing a lot of regional marketing to New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, and we are seeing an uptick in extended stays. We’re really looking to increase that one-night stay to two or three nights.”

New Jersey Campground Owners and Outdoor Lodging Association Executive Director Joann DelVescio said, “We’ve had probably an 80% cancellation rate so far this year in some of the campgrounds by Canadians.”

“I do think it’s foreign policy; I do think it’s the tariffs. I think it’s also the exchange rate. So that definitely is going to have an impact. We have a lot of things working against us this year.

“I think we just have to go with the flow for this year and work as hard as we can to make sure that we continue to welcome our Canadian visitors when they do want to come back,” she said. DelVescio also noted Atlantic and Cape May counties host 13,000 campsites, about 75% of the campgrounds in New Jersey.

Learning to adapt

Rose added, “We have to replace those visitors with other visitors, that’s all. When Canadians were barred from traveling during the COVID years, we did very well. We had record-breaking years every year, so we’re able to adapt. We want our Canadian visitors; we welcome them with open arms, but if they’re not coming we have to adapt.”

I do think it’s foreign policy; I do think it’s the tariffs. I think it’s also the exchange rate. … We have a lot of things working against us this year.
— Joann DelVescio, executive director, New Jersey Campground Owners and Outdoor Lodging Association

As for the summer workforce, panelists stressed how important the J-1 visa program is to the area.

Cooke said, “About 4,000 to 5,000 J-1 summer workers make their way to the Jersey Shore every summer. I don’t know if the current policy is going to affect it this summer, but there are huge cuts at the State Department scheduled to start in fiscal 2026, which would mean next summer. This could be an even bigger problem for the shore, because the entire program that runs the J-1 visa program is basically slated to be removed from the State Department.”

Rose explained, “Here there are not enough local students or local workers to fill those spots. We rely on those J-1 visa students to fill all those working spots, and it would be a very difficult situation for each hotel owner and every business at any of the destinations to fill those positions. Kids are in sports year-round these days. They have enrichment programs in the summer — they’re just busy. There are not enough student workers to fill these spots, so we have to go overseas to go after these J-1 visa students.”

The big picture

According to a recently released study from the New Jersey Division of Travel and Tourism, the state welcomed 123.7 million visitors in 2024, up from 120.5 million a year prior. Visitors spent a record $50.6 billion, an increase of 3.1% over the previous year.

Overall, the visitor industry last year had a total economic impact of $80.4 billion in New Jersey and generated $5.2 billion in state and local tax revenues, according to the report. Additionally, it sustained over 507,000 workers, representing 8.3% of all jobs in the state.

For 2025, the state expects 126.4 million visitors and $52.3 billion in spending. Total state and local taxes generated from visitor supported activity is anticipated at $5.5 million.

Visitor volume is expected to reach 130.2 million in 2026 and 132.4 million in 2026. Spending will grow to $54.8 billion in 2026 and $56.4 billion in 2027, according to the state.