1	2012 Cape May County Tourism Conference Mentoring the Marketers Cape May County Department of Tourism March 20, 2012
2	2011 was a year to celebrate! Tourism expenditures in New Jersey experienced 7% growth generating $38 Billion in tourism revenue. Tourism expenditures in Cape May County increased by 4.5%. Visitation to NJ increased by 18% with 80 million visitors traveling to the state in 2011. 80% of NJ visitors come from within NJ and the feeder markets of NY and Pa.
3	Economic Impact of Tourism in Cape May County
4	Cape May County - Direct Tourism Expenditures
5	Second Homeowners 50% of all second homes in NJ are located in Cape May County. 47% of all dwellings in CMC are considered 2^nd homes. 54% of 2^nd homeowners use their home as vacation homes only and do not rent. Rental income for 2011 was $1.8 Billion; 80% of all lodging expenditures. CMC breakdown of 2^nd homeowners 59% come from Pennsylvania 25% come from New Jersey 3% come from Md/Va 2% come from Delaware 2% come from New York 2% come from Florida
6	Beach Bums vs. Cultural Vultures Cape May County still comes out a winner. Beach vacations continue to be the top destinations for travel planners but Cultural vacations are closing in… According to the 2012 TripAdvisor Survey, the top vacation options include; 44% Beach trip 42% Cultural trip (visiting museums/historic sites) 40% Road trip 36% City trip 24% Guys or girlfriends getaway 12% Amusement/theme Parks
7	Cultural and Historic Tourism – CMC fits the bill. “After the beach and boardwalk, the rest is history…and culture” Visitors want activities they can’t get at home and want to be part of a region by experiencing the area’s history and culture. (TripAdvisor) Visitors are active 12-14 hours a day and spend 4-6 hours in pursuit of the lure that brought them to a destination. Arts, Culture and History fit well. 51% of CMC visitors participated in cultural and historic tours and attractions. (CMC 2012 Visitor Survey) Baby boomers account for 80% of leisure travel with cultural and historic tourism high on their bucket list. (Roger Brooks, DDI)
8	Eco Tourism – it’s not for the birds. Visitors to the region want to feel good about the environment and will patronize those businesses that incorporate green practices and by being more socially responsible. Nature based tourism is a $522 million industry in Cape May County, and growing. (ACCC CRBR 2006) Nature-based tourism generates $2.3 million in sales taxes; $1 million in occupancy taxes. 47% of travelers will take eco-friendly factors into consideration, such as their carbon footprint or “green” hotel policies, when making travel plans.
9	Baby Boomers are alive and well and have left their mark on everything. Since 1996, approximately 10,000 baby boomers turned 50 every day – one every seven minutes. The ‘early’ boomers turned 65 on 1/1/2011 7,000 will turn 65 everyday for the next 19 years. Boomers have redefined ‘old age’ in America. Marketing has been impacted the most. Adult diapers give you more ‘vitality’ & improve your tennis game. Adjustable beds are ‘fun’ and make you sleep better. Jeans with a skosh more room make you more ‘active’. Fiber and pro-biotic additives make you ‘youthful and happy’. Medical alerts are a ‘new’ and a better way to reach out and touch someone. Vehicles that self-park and have rear cameras are all about keeping up with new technology and that makes you younger.
10	The competition is Global, it’s all about the experience. We can no longer think our competition is the neighboring town or state. No one thinks in terms of borders or city limits when they travel, nor do they care. Travelers are thinking about and googling the ‘experience’ rather than the location. The internet is bringing the world closer and expanding the options. 1,500 cities across the country turned to tourism to supplement their core industry in the past year.
11	2012 Cape May County Visitor Survey 6600 surveys were sent via internet with a response rate of 25% (1653). Metrics from 2011 summer/fall season. 68% of visitor spending comes from outside of NJ. 77% are return visitors. 34% stayed 7 days. 12% stayed longer than 1 week. 9% came from Canada (PQ). 51% traveled with children.
12	Visitor Spending Expect that your customer is working with a smaller budget and looking for larger than life vacation experiences.” Roger A. Brooks, CEO, DDI 25% anticipate they will spend more on their vacation in 2012 60% will spend about the same. 15% will spend less. 38% have an annual house hold income of between $75k - $125k. 44% are 55 plus (Baby Boomers) 23% were first time visitors
13	Game Changers Again we are watching the prices at the pumps and anticipating how those costs will impact the discretionary income of potential visitors. 72% of respondents to CMC Visitor survey said increased vacation costs would influence their travel decisions. 58% said increased fuel costs would be a factor in vacation planning. 15% said they would go elsewhere if they found better value. 14% said employment status will dictate their vacation options.
14	Why do they come? 85% come for the beach 54% come for the boardwalk 46% come for dining 42% come for nature/outdoors 36% come for shopping 34% come for history/culture
15	What do they do when they get here? Dining 93% Beach 91% Shopping 90% Boardwalk 84% Historic/Cultural 51% Water Sports 34% Special Events 26% Fishing/boating 26% Birding 11%
16	What brings them back? 58% say Friendly 57% say Safe 57% say Family Oriented 42% say Family Tradition 42% say Quiet 41% say Close to Home 40% say Quality of Life 31% say Value 20% say Romantic
17	Who is taking the trip? 29% Spouse only 47% Spouse & children 4% Children only 16% Friends 28% Extended Family
18	Promote the ‘second act’ – its’ everyone’s job to bring ‘em back for more. Nationally, tourism destinations are finding they can’t survive on seasonal business and must expand and/or develop secondary lures to bring customers back after the season. 26% come for special events. Shoulder season special events bring back visitors and second homeowners. 72% of CMC visitors take more than one vacation per year. 79% of 2^nd homeowners live within a 2 hour drive. Eco, Cultural and Historic tours, museums, and ethnic festivals attract visitors and impacts lodging, restaurants and retail year round.
19	Destination Tourism The destination marketing concept is the answer to the growing demands of the vacation planner. Visitors have little concept of city lines or borders. Destination Marketing is "a proactive, strategic, visitor-centered approach to the economic and cultural development of a location, which balances and integrates the interests of visitors, service providers, and the community." Destination managers worldwide are continually working to reinvent themselves by offering new lures and repackaging core attractions in an attempt to stay ahead of the newest travel trends. The “been there – done that” attitude is deeply rooted in the minds of the traveler who is looking for the next new vacation experience.
20	Southern Shore Region DMO http://www.njsouthernshore.com/pdfs/brooks/NJSouthernShoreTVSeries.wmv The Southern Shore Region DMO successfully applied and was awarded in FY2012, $141,000 and matched $35,250 to bring an additional $176,250 in marketing money to promote the region. DMO funding works with the Department of Tourism budget to expand the marketing message and the advertising reach. Cape May and Cumberland Counties partner to promote the region under the Southern Shore Region DMO. Since 2005, the SSRDMO had been awarded $1.89 million in grant funding from the Department of State.