Tourism
Fall For The Jersey Cape Video
The Cape May County Department of Tourism and Public Information
The Department of Tourism is supported and funded by the Cape May County Board of Chosen Freeholders. The function of the department is to promote the 16 municipalities within the County as tourism destinations. Established in the mid-1940s and called the Department of Public Affairs, the office was tasked with disseminating information about county government and marketing the beach resorts and attractions to visitors as far away as Philadelphia, Pa. Early advertisements in the Philadelphia Bulletin promoted the medicinal benefits of bathing in salt water. Marketing Cape May County has drastically changed over the years.
In 1990, the department name was changed to the Department of Tourism. The mission has remained the same. However, technology has enhanced the marketing efforts and allowed the department to expand the reach beyond the traditional 300 mile or ‘tank of gas’ radius. New and innovative marketing programs, implemented by the Department, have worked to grow tourism to Cape May County and have served as a model for marketing throughout the state.
Canadian Marketing – In 1968, the county realized there was a growing number of visitors from the Province of Quebec coming to the local campgrounds and the Wildwoods. French Canadians discovered the Jersey Cape in their trek for outdoor activities and warm ocean waters. In 1970, Cape May County opened a full time office in downtown Montreal. We were the first county in the U.S. to open a tourism office in a foreign country. For the next 25 years, Cape May County maintained a year-round tourism office in Montreal. Campgrounds and motels in the Wildwoods hosted thousands of French Canadian families, with the highest concentration during the last two weeks of July, a two week Construction Holiday in Canada. The investment paid off with continued growth until 1995.
The Cape May County Department of Tourism has earned state and national recognition for their work in marketing Cape May County. The Department has received 11 Excellence in Tourism awards from the State Division of Travel and Tourism, two Hospitality Sales Marketing Association International (HSMAI) Excellence in Travel Marketing Awards and one Award of Excellence from the North American Travel Journalist Industry.
The Cape May County Department of Tourism and Public Information
The Department of Tourism is supported and funded by the Cape May County Board of Chosen Freeholders. The function of the department is to promote the 16 municipalities within the County as tourism destinations. Established in the mid-1940s and called the Department of Public Affairs, the office was tasked with disseminating information about county government and marketing the beach resorts and attractions to visitors as far away as Philadelphia, Pa. Early advertisements in the Philadelphia Bulletin promoted the medicinal benefits of bathing in salt water. Marketing Cape May County has drastically changed over the years.
In 1990, the department name was changed to the Department of Tourism. The mission has remained the same. However, technology has enhanced the marketing efforts and allowed the department to expand the reach beyond the traditional 300 mile or ‘tank of gas’ radius. New and innovative marketing programs, implemented by the Department, have worked to grow tourism to Cape May County and have served as a model for marketing throughout the state.
Marketing
The Tourism Department's promotional and marketing efforts focus primarily on marketing to our top 5 markets that include Central and Northern New Jersey, Pennsylvania and New York, with expanded efforts in the Baltimore/Washington D.C. and New England regions. Our 'tank of gas away' marketing plan promotes to over 30 million people in a 300-mile radius. Our target marketing includes Canada, focusing on the Province of Quebec. French speaking visitors from the Montreal area have come to love Cape May County as a favorite beach destination.Canadian Marketing – In 1968, the county realized there was a growing number of visitors from the Province of Quebec coming to the local campgrounds and the Wildwoods. French Canadians discovered the Jersey Cape in their trek for outdoor activities and warm ocean waters. In 1970, Cape May County opened a full time office in downtown Montreal. We were the first county in the U.S. to open a tourism office in a foreign country. For the next 25 years, Cape May County maintained a year-round tourism office in Montreal. Campgrounds and motels in the Wildwoods hosted thousands of French Canadian families, with the highest concentration during the last two weeks of July, a two week Construction Holiday in Canada. The investment paid off with continued growth until 1995.
