2026: The Year of Tourism

With the FIFA 2026 World Cup and the 250th anniversary of the United States happening this year, New Jersey will be front and center in festivities and opportunities.

By Lisa Goulian Twiste, Contributing Writer On Jan 8, 2026

The eyes of the world will be on New Jersey this summer, as MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford and Lincoln Financial Field in nearby Philadelphia host a combined 14 FIFA World Cup 2026 games, generating significant economic impact on the region, and America marks its 250th birthday, with celebrations planned across the state for its key strategic role in the American Revolution. 

Both of these happenings promise to make New Jersey a hotbed for tourism in 2026, with an influx of visitors expected to bring in more than $4.3 billion in revenues and create roughly 30,000 jobs statewide. Thus, many local organizations are determined to put their best foot forward – seeing this as a chance to show what New Jersey offers in terms of culture, diversity, dining experiences, beautiful beaches and easy access to the great cities of New York and Philadelphia.

“FIFA World Cup 2026 and America’s 250th anniversary represent once-in-a-generation opportunities for New Jersey,” says New Jersey Lt. Governor Tahesha Way, who oversees NJTT (N.J. Division of Travel & Tourism) in her capacity as Secretary of State. “As the Crossroads of the American Revolution, the Garden State offers a profound connection to our nation’s founding, while today our remarkable diversity reflects the world itself. The division is approaching both events as platforms to showcase New Jersey’s history, hospitality, and dynamic spirit to domestic and international audiences. Together, these milestones provide an extraordinary opportunity to highlight how New Jersey helped to shape America and continues to welcome the world.”

The World Cup

Officials expect to see a significant number of visitors coming to Northern New Jersey during the playing of eight FIFA World Cup games beginning June 13 at MetLife Stadium, including the final on July 19. Many of these will be non-ticket holders who are looking for local experiences, with a good portion traveling here for the first time.

“While there are no guarantees, ensuring things run smoothly is all about preparation and planning,” says Jim Kirkos, chief executive officer of the Meadowlands Chamber & Meadowlands Live! Convention & Visitors Bureau in Lyndhurst. “Our organization is being a conduit of information to local communities and our membership while also assisting the NY/NJ FIFA World Cup 2026 Host Committee in any way we can with its planning.”

The Host Committee will operate the Fan Experience at Liberty State Park for 39 days (June 11-July 19), coordinating security and transportation for ticket holders, while local communities are preparing to host activities like ethnic festivals, watch parties and street fairs. Kirkos says planning the event and all that surrounds it requires multi-agency coordination – especially when it comes to moving people to and from the stadium on game days, as well as security for all events.

“Our task is to be great marketers and make sure those visitors know where to play, stay, eat, and shop. Social media, digital marketing, and creative campaigns will all be utilized to highlight and showcase all we have to offer,” he adds. “The Meadowlands has hosted big events before, and every time we go through this process, we get better at it. Three billion eyes will watch the World Cup Final being played right here at the Meadowlands. It doesn’t get better than that.”

South Jersey Prepares for a Record Number of Tourists 

Southern New Jersey will also benefit from FIFA World Cup-related tourism, thanks not only to activity at the Meadowlands, but to six matches being played between June 14 and July 4 at Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field. According to Gary Musich, president and CEO of Visit Atlantic City, the FIFA World Cup should bring a “modest but meaningful” boost to Atlantic City, which sits some 60 miles away and is often seen as the primary beach access point for Philadelphia.

“We don’t expect a massive overnight visitor explosion, but [rather] a strategically well-timed uptick in tourism that we plan to capture,” he says. “With the right promotional execution and hotel partner alignment, we could see extra tens of thousands of room nights and a multi-million-dollar incremental economic impact.”

Musich goes on to say that while Atlantic City is a secondary, or tertiary, destination for many expected travelers, he does anticipate a meaningful uptick in bookings, especially around match windows and associated fan experiences. He says tourism may also be influenced by which teams are scheduled to play on the East Coast – which was not known at press time. Whatever the traffic may be, Atlantic City is equipped to handle it.

“We have demonstrated in years past that we can operate effectively and successfully as a destination when singular large-scale events coincide with our busiest season, such as beach concerts and city-wide conventions,” he adds.

Wildwood, which is about 45 minutes further south of Atlantic City, is also preparing to host hundreds of thousands of visitors looking for a beach experience between matches. During a normal year, the population in the Wildwoods – with features like award-winning beaches and a 2.5-mile boardwalk with three amusement piers, two beachfront waterparks, and hundreds of bars and restaurants – swells from 15,000 permanent residents to well over 300,000 in the summer months. With more than 8,000 hotel/motel rooms and 4,000 vacation rentals in the area, the infrastructure is already in place to accommodate large numbers of people who visit for large-scale events like the annual Barefoot Country Music Festival and last year’s inaugural “Thunder Over the Waves” airshow.

“The Wildwoods are a tourism hub in the area with a capacity for large influxes of visitors, and we are uniquely positioned between the two cities where matches are taking place during the peak summer season, allowing sports-focused travelers an opportunity to enjoy our destination, whether they’re visiting from nearby or the other side of the globe,” says Ben Rose, director of marketing and public relations at the Greater Wildwoods Tourism Authority. “Exposing a new international audience to the Wildwoods for the first time will help to generate future return visits to our destination, giving us the opportunity to expand our reach far from the traditional regional market.”

Revolutionary Programming Statewide

Yet another opportunity to expand New Jersey tourism this year comes through RevolutionNJ, a partnership between the New Jersey Historical Commission (NJHC) and the nonprofit Crossroads of the American Revolution Association to commemorate the 250th anniversary of America’s founding. 

“RevolutionNJ will advance the role that history plays in public discourse, community engagement, education, tourism, and scholarship in New Jersey,” says Sara Cureton, executive director of the NJHC. “Through a series of initiatives that explore the history of the American Revolution, its context, and legacy, RevolutionNJ will galvanize diverse audiences statewide into embracing the enduring value and relevance of history.”

RevolutionNJ initiatives include the: Communities Program, supporting local groups planning their own commemorations; Proud Partners Program, supporting in-state businesses and organizations wanting to participate in America’s 250th Anniversary celebration; Revolutionary Schools Program (created in partnership with the New Jersey Department of Education), a network of schools committed to bringing America’s 250th to their classrooms; and Investments in Heritage Tourism, including a $25 million investment in capital improvements at 10 key historic sites.

Other aspects of the program include: “Revolutionary Lives: Living the American Experiment Then and Now,” a traveling exhibition; “Revolutionary Acts,” a public arts initiative in collaboration with the New Jersey Council on the Arts; “Tavern Talks,” a series of historical discussions in craft breweries; “History Pinned,” a challenge to visit museums, learn, and collect commemoratives; “Garden State Roots: The Revolutionary History of New Jersey,” a history podcast; and a Race Series of 5K’s and Fun Runs through New Jersey’s historic parks and spaces. Complementing this programming will be milestone-anniversary reenactments at sites like the Battle of Monmouth and the Battle of Princeton, expected to draw large numbers of visitors.

“The anniversary presents a special opportunity to increase heritage tourism in New Jersey,” Cureton says. “Visitors will be attracted to our state not only because of its historical significance to the American Revolution, but also because of large-scale events such as the FIFA World Cup and Sail4th 250.”

RevolutionNJ is also working with the firm Aloysius, Butler & Clark (AB&C) on a marketing campaign that will highlight New Jersey’s heritage tourism offerings and expand visitors’ perceptions of what the state has to offer. Statistics gathered in 2020 showed just 7% of New Jersey visitors engaged in heritage tourism activities during their stay – compared to the then national average of 13% and less than half of what other comparable East Coast states experience. … RevolutionNJ is working to change that. 

“New Jersey is the site of more Revolutionary War military action than any of the other original colonies, and arguably includes more sites directly related to the American Revolution than any other state,” says Carrie Fellows, executive director of the Crossroads of the American Revolution Association. “In addition to sheer quantity, some of the war’s most important battles were fought in New Jersey, representing key moments in the war for independence.

“By capitalizing on our incredible history, the anniversary provides an opportunity to increase the number of heritage tourists to New Jersey, which, in turn, will expose new audiences to New Jersey businesses, restaurants, and hotels, creating a ripple effect lasting far beyond the commemorative period,” Fellows says.”

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