From hosting World Cup soccer games to celebrating the 250th anniversary of the nation’s founding, the next few years could be pivotal for a state tourism industry still recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Making sure New Jersey is doing everything it can to seize the moment has been a key concern for state business leaders, as well as tourism industry officials charged with promoting everything from major sports venues to local art galleries.

In recent years, state policymakers have given more to arts, history and tourism programs. A major initiative has also been launched to preserve and repair Jersey Shore boardwalks.

But whether even more can be done to improve the performance of New Jersey’s tourism sector was among the key topics covered during a recent legislative hearing in Trenton.

Lawmakers delved into everything from how tourism marketing is funded in New Jersey to how the maintenance of the state’s transportation network plays a key role in connecting tourists to destinations throughout the state.

“We all know that the tourism industry plays a vital role in fostering communities, driving innovation, facilitating recovery and powering our economy in every corner of our state,” said Adam Perle, who chairs the board of the New Jersey Tourism Industry Association, during the hearing.

Tourists spent $45B in 2022

“It’s imperative to recognize the ongoing opportunities for sustainable expansion,” he went to say.

In all, nearly 115 million tourists visited New Jersey in 2022, spending more than $45 billion during their trips, according to the latest annual report released by New Jersey’s Division of Travel and Tourism last year.

The statewide totals included in the 2022 report represent a significant rebound from the worst years of the COVID-19 pandemic, when the total number of tourists visiting the state sagged below the 100-million threshold, in both 2020 and 2021.

But in 2022, the state had yet to fully reach both the visitation and the spending levels that were recorded in 2019, before the onset of the global health crisis, according to the report.

The state typically releases the latest tourism-industry impact figures every spring. That means the latest figures are still pending, but Perle suggested the impact report for 2023 will show another big step forward amid the ongoing pandemic recovery.

‘We are, essentially, a transit desert in South Jersey. We have very limited mass-transit options (and) that impacts the numbers of visitors getting to the Jersey Shore.’ — Christina Renna, Chamber of Commerce Southern New Jersey

“What we know is that the 2023 numbers are going to be better than the 2022 numbers,” he said during the hearing convened by the Assembly Tourism, Gaming and the Arts Committee.

Looking ahead, the upcoming U.S. semiquincentennial in 2026 provides New Jersey with a golden opportunity to take advantage of the crucial role it played in the nation’s founding, said Jennifer Costa, executive director of the Visit Elizabeth NJ organization.

NJ’s Revolutionary War heritage

“Many people know Valley Forge and the terrible winter in Pennsylvania, but George Washington and the Continental Army spent three winters here in New Jersey,” Costa said. “In fact, George Washington spent more time here, in New Jersey, than in any other colony during the war.”

In late 2022, Gov. Phil Murphy announced New Jersey would be investing $25 million in its Revolutionary War historic sites in the run-up to the semiquincentennial. A Revolutionary War Visitor Experience Center in Trenton is also in the works to serve as the central hub for visitors coming to New Jersey, according to the state Historical Commission.

Still, when it comes to what’s known as “heritage tourism,” New Jersey’s current share of tourists coming to visit historic sites and similar attractions is about 6%, which is less than half of the national average of 13%, Costa said.

“So, we have a little bit of work to do,” she told members of the committee.

Other major events on the state tourism calendar include the 2026 FIFA World Cup, an international soccer tournament that will be hosted by 16 North American cities, including East Rutherford, the home of MetLife Stadium in the Meadowlands Sports Complex. And on Sunday, FIFA announced the coveted final match of the 2026 World Cup will be played in New Jersey.

The Murphy administration has estimated the event could generate as much as $500 million in economic activity for the region.

Tourists need better roads, trains, buses

But one issue that will need to be addressed well before the first World Cup soccer matches are played in New Jersey is what happens next to the state Transportation Trust Fund. The trust fund, or TTF, is a multibillion-dollar, off-budget account that pays for road, bridge and rail-network improvements throughout the state.

The TTF must be renewed by June 30, or transportation-infrastructure spending could eventually stall, as it did nearly a decade ago when Gov. Chris Christie could not reach agreement with lawmakers. This year, little has been said publicly by administration officials about what the next TTF reauthorization will look like.

Michael Egenton of the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce encouraged members of the Assembly panel to see the connection between transportation and tourism, as well as the need to ensure visitors can travel easily to attractions up and down the state.

“Our New Jersey destinations are easily accessible,” Egenton said. “Maintaining and upgrading and taking care of our roads and our bridges remains critically important.”

Also raising concerns about transportation during the hearing was Christina Renna of the Chamber of Commerce Southern New Jersey. While she praised the recent establishment of a $100 million fund to pay for boardwalk renovation and repairs, Renna said transportation “continues to be a massive struggle” in South Jersey.

“We are, essentially, a transit desert in South Jersey,” Renna said. “We have very limited mass-transit options (and) that impacts the numbers of visitors getting to the Jersey Shore.”

“We need to figure out a way, with all of the transit conversations these days, to look at South Jersey’s transportation system and figure out a way that we can help grow our economy,” she said.