The coronavirus pandemic took a big financial bite out of some of New Jersey’s biggest attractions, from its vast array of restaurants to its bevy of vacation spots along the Shore.
Now, lawmakers want to use COVID-19 relief money to let visitors know the Garden State is open for business again.
The state Legislature is considering a bill that would allocate $25 million in federal pandemic rescue funds to advertise and promote tourism in New Jersey, among the state’s largest industries, in the wake of the pandemic.
“A vibrant travel and tourism industry is vital to the overall economic well-being of New Jersey,” said state Sen. James Beach, D-Camden, a main sponsor. “In order to help regain economic stability, we need to focus on rebooting this important industry.”
The measure (A5689) passed the full state Assembly in June, 71-1, with two abstentions, and the state Senate Government, Wagering, Tourism & Historic Preservation Committee approved it Monday by a vote of 5-0.
The full Senate must now pass the bill before Gov. Phil Murphy can decide whether to sign it into law.
The New Jersey Business & Industry Association supports the proposal. Chrissy Buteas, the group’s chief government affairs officer, told the Senate committee Monday the state generated more than $5 billion in state and local tax revenue from tourism annually before the pandemic.
But that fell 21% between 2019 and 2020 as the crisis closed businesses, limited travel, and curtailed visitors.
“While New Jersey welcomed 84.6 million visitors in 2020, that was 27% fewer than the previous year, and visitor spending fell to its lowest level in more than a decade,” Buteas told lawmakers.
About a third of New Jersey’s small businesses shuttered during the pandemic, and the state’s 7.1% unemployment rate continues to lag the nation’s rate of 4.6%, 20 months since the virus began circulating here.
New Jersey has received more than $6 billion in funds from the American Rescue Plan, the federal coronavirus aid package passed by Congress. So far, Murphy and lawmakers have allocated about a third of that money, including to help businesses, renters, and parents with child care, according to a report by NJ Spotlight News.
Sponsors of the tourism bill note the federal aid package specifically requires 25% of the funds appropriated by state and local governments to be directed to the hospitality industry.
The measure would allocate $5 million for marketing tourism in all regions of the state. Another $20 million would help promote “industries and destinations” in the state that have been hurt by the pandemic, including bars and restaurants.
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Brent Johnson may be reached at bjohnson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @johnsb01.
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November 17, 2021 at 08:00PM
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N.J. lawmakers want to use COVID relief funds to boost tourism in pandemic’s wake - nj.com
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