NJ / JC is know on the global platform as a crime and corrupt state - We should exploit that, for those tourist dollars!

Jersey urged to promote attractions
Legislators told state offers a lot to tourists

Tuesday, May 22, 2007
BY NAWAL QAROONI
Star-Ledger Staff

New Jersey is home to a diverse geography and more than 1,000 historic and cultural sites. But people nationwide may not recognize the Garden State as a tourist destination beyond the well-known images of the Shore and Atlantic City gambling, state officials and arts leaders said yesterday.

The Senate Wagering, Tourism and Historic Preservation Commit tee met at New Brunswick's State Theatre to hear testimony from state leaders of arts and cultural organizations, as well as various commerce groups, about the need to increase promotion of the state's natural tourism attractions.

Secretary of State Nina Mitchell Wells told the panel that funding resources need to be used better in order to draw people to New Jersey.

"We need specific destination marketing with signs, brochures, kiosks, stronger Web sites and promotional materials," Wells said. "Many states market beyond their neighboring states. We need to do the same for New Jersey, far be yond our tri-state area, as far as Canada."

The state budget for tourism last year was $10 million, Wells said. The same amount has been proposed for this year, she said. Another $25 million in state grants were doled out to cultural and historic organizations last year, Wells said.

"We're already providing funding," Wells said. "But we want to maximize that investment."

Wells said the state needs to model its efforts after Massachu setts, where visitors tend to stay longer and spend more money when they attend cultural events. Eighty percent of Massachusetts tourists include at least one cultural event in their activities, Wells said.

"It's a matter of getting the word out that New Jersey has it all," Wells said. "There's no reason we can't market everything visitors could do in a certain radius -- like an itinerary -- telling them to come to New Jersey to do X, Y and Z."

Wells mentioned target promotions for Red Bank, Millville, Cape May, Lambertville and Jersey City.

As of July 1, the state's division of travel and tourism is expected to move from the commerce commis sion to the Department of State in an effort to further consolidate and strengthen the positive fiscal outcome a strong tourism base would bring.

Wes Brustad, president of the State Theatre, agreed that leaders could do more to remind visitors of the numerous activities and desti nations the state -- particularly Middlesex County -- has to offer. Without promoting, more than 1 million visitors come to New Jersey each year, Brustad said.

"From the rolling hills in west New Jersey to our thriving urban centers, we have a unique history to crow about, and yet, we don't capitalize on it," Brustad said.

Sen. Barbara Buono (D-Middlesex), who chairs the committee, said many people don't know that most of the battles fought in the American Revolution were in New Jersey.

"This is the first in a series of meetings to find a strategy to highlight the arts from an economic standpoint," Buono said. "If we can find additional funding to promote the heritage and tourism, that's a ways down the road. This is a start."

Nawal Qarooni may be reached at nqarooni@starledger.com or (732) 404-8082.