Cape May County came roaring back from the COVID-19 pandemic for a record-high $7.4 billion in direct tourism spending in 2022 and signs are already pointing to another banner summer this year. The county enjoyed a record number of visitors who were attracted to the beaches, boardwalks, restaurants, shopping, ecotourism, the Cape May County Park & Zoo, historic sites and wineries.
“Visitors are learning we are more than a beach destination,” Cape May County Board of Commissioners Director Leonard Desiderio said at the county’s tourism conference Tuesday. “Fifty-five percent of our visitors last year took two or more trips to Cape May County.” Figures released at the conference highlighted the strong comeback the county made in 2022 in a broad array of economic and tourism categories.
Overall, Cape May County’s tourism spending increased from $6.6 billion in 2021 to $7.4 billion in 2022. Cape May County outpaced all other counties in food and beverage spending, retail, recreation and second home rentals in 2022, figures show. New Jersey has a total population of 9.2 million residents. Underscoring the success of the tourism industry, there were 11.3 million visitors to Cape May County in 2022.