Perfect together

With competition from neighboring states on the rise, New Jersey's Division of Travel and Tourism has developed a 10-year master plan designed to grow its hospitality revenues.
"This master plan provides a strategic blueprint ... to promote New Jersey as a diverse destination and to encourage people to do more and make longer visits," said Linda M. Conlin, director of the Division of Travel and Tourism, part of the state's Division of Commerce and Economic Development.

The plan, the first in nearly two decades, cited numerous reasons why a focused strategic course of action is required.

For example, while the state's "mega-destinations" -- Atlantic City casinos, Six Flags Great Adventure, Meadowlands Complex, Liberty State Park and the Shore -- attract millions of visitors, most other attractions draw fewer than 10,000 people a year.

According to data compiled by the U.S. Travel Data Center, New Jersey ranked seventh nationally in domestic visitor receipts, 13th nationally in international visitor receipts, yet is 33rd when it comes to dollars doled out by state funding for tourism.

Meanwhile, state tourism budgets in neighboring Pennsylvania and New York ranked sixth and seventh respectively.

The master plan calls for expansion of access to financing for tourism in both the public and private sectors. In order to do that, the plan suggested, the economic impact of tourism needs to be better emphasized. Figures complied in a study by Longwoods International showed that in 1997 the impact of tourism in New Jersey resulted in $12.9 billion in wages, $3.2 billion in state taxes and $1.5 billion in local taxes.

In her address to the March 22-24 Governor's Conference on Tourism -- where the plan was unveiled -- Gov. Christine Todd Whitman noted how travel expenditures stemming from tourism statewide are on the rise.

Last year, these expenditures reached $25.5 billion, about $1 billion more than in 1996.

Atlantic City netted the highest amount of travel and tourism dollars, $8.2 million. "America's Playground" enjoyed gains thanks to the opening of a new convention center in May and increased revitalization.

The state's Delaware River region, encompassing Camden, Gloucester, Burlington, Salem, and Mercer counties, also saw increases in tourist spending. Last year the figure climbed to $2.7 billion vs. $2.5 billion in the prior year.

Yet while those gains obviously reflect growth, more needs to be done, according to Conlin.

And while the plan addresses the issue on a statewide level, each of the various regions across the Garden State will be expected to tailor their own strategies.

Jeffrey Swartz, a member of the Delaware River Region Tourism Council and director of economic development for the Camden County Improvement Authority, said the council is getting ready to print its first guide to sites and attractions in the area.

The guide will pay particular attention to historic places, many of which date to the Revolutionary War.

"History is a good theme for bus tours," Swartz said. "Seniors especially enjoy this activity. It's a chance for them to go back in time."

The guide will highlight better-known attractions, such as Washington Crossing State Park, Historic Batso Village, Cowtown Rodeo, New Jersey State Aquarium and the Pine Barrens.

But Swartz believes the impact of the guide is more important to less recognized sites. "There are a lot of little-known places, like the Nothnagle Log House in Gibbstown. It's the oldest log house in the country. It's a home and you can stay there," he said.

Other hidden gems that the guide will feature: the Indian King Tavern Museum in Haddonfield, said to be a stop for Gen. George Washington, and the town of Swedesboro, which maintains many early American structures.

The master plan pointed out that New Jersey lags behind neighboring states in terms of capitalizing on the international market. Conlin said plans are in the works to gain a larger chunk.

"We already have the infrastructure," she said, noting that New Jersey's international airports can easily help it lure more travelers from abroad. She also said opportunities exist in terms of attracting foreigners visiting New York.
Conlin said the state has been active in aiming its promotions at Canadians. It will increase those efforts and go after visitors from other nations.

"To start, we will narrow the focus to the markets of greatest opportunity: Germany, the United Kingdom and Brazil," Conlin said. "We'll do the same kinds of things we do to bring in regional tourists: create advertising, attend trade shows, invite writers and other members of the travel industry from overseas, all to increase awareness and visibility."

These and the rest of the upcoming marketing plans will feature a familiar tagline, "New Jersey and You ... Perfect Together."

The slogan had been more recently replaced by "New Jersey: What A Difference A State Makes."

Apparently, that line proved less than successful. As Swartz observed, "It was kind of flat. It didn't get the results."

The old slogan was revived at the behest of Whitman. According to Conlin, "She realized, when she was out campaigning, that there was a great deal of affection remaining for `New Jersey and You ... Perfect Together.' And she understood there was a great deal of brand equity already in the slogan. We felt it made good business sense to go back to it and capitalize on that equity."

"I'm glad we're going back to it," Swartz said. "It's catchy. It had a positive impact on tourism. It's like the old adage: If it ain't broke, don't fix it."

The governor's conference also featured seminars providing information on ways to attract and take better advantage of tourism. These focused on topics such as small-town tourism development, cultural tourism, building partnerships between related sites, working with the media and launching into cyberspace.