TRENTON – New Jersey Tourism Leaders kicked off the 2016 tourism season at the State House in Trenton as the weather warms up and Memorial Day approaches. New Jersey Tourism Industry Association (NJTIA) President Vicki Clark and members of the NJTIA addressed representatives from across the tourism industry, elected officials, Capitol staff and the media.
“Memorial Day weekend is a time to celebrate our Armed Forces members and their families who have given the ultimate sacrifice to our country,” said Clark. “Those sacrifices allow this great nation to celebrate the beginning of summer and nobody does that better than New Jersey! We celebrate at the beach, in our parks, in our campgrounds , our historic sites and attractions, with concerts, and back yard barbeques. We celebrate the value of New Jersey’s Tourism Industry and the direct, positive financial impact it provides.”
New Jersey welcomed more than 95 million visitors who spent more than $41.2 billion in 2015. The Tourism Industry Association emphasized the importance of tourism to New Jersey’s economy.
“Tourism supports more than 500,000 jobs annually making it the third largest industry in New Jersey,” noted NJTIA Executive Director Joseph Simonetta. “If tourism didn’t exist in the Garden State each resident would need to pay an additional $1,490 in property taxes each year to maintain our current level of services.”