NJ Tourism Economy Looks to Remain Strong in the Face of Uncertainty

By Jim Pytell, Managing Editor On May 9, 2025

The New Jersey Division of Travel and Tourism (NJTT) released its “2024 Economic Impact of Visitors to New Jersey” study, which revealed that New Jersey welcomed 123.7 million total visitors in 2024, up three million visitors from 2023, with visitation increasing 2.7% year-over-year.

The study’s release coincided with the New Jersey Tourism Industry Association (NJTIA) Advocacy Day in Trenton yesterday, an annual event dedicated to championing policies that support and grow New Jersey’s tourism industry.

The study also revealed that day-visitor volume reached more than 69.9 million, with spending hitting an all-time high of $6.915 billion; while overnight visits to New Jersey reached 53 million with overnight spending equaling $43.6 billion.

Visitors spent a record $50.6 billion in New Jersey in 2024, up 3.1% from 2023, with a total economic impact of $80.4 billion across state industries.

Ben Rose, president of  NJTIA said that while the Jersey Shore certainly remains the state’s top attraction, there are many other growing tourism draws in New Jersey including a rich culinary scene, outdoor adventure offerings, and thriving arts and entertainment hubs. He added that the state’s proximity to major metropolitan areas also makes it an accessible and attractive destination for quick getaways.

While the 2024 tourism figures for New Jersey were strong, 2025 projections remain muddied in the face of economic uncertainty, mainly stemming from the Trump Administration’s announced tariffs, according to Adam Sacks, president of Tourism Economics.

“Overall, you are likely looking at a modest decline in travel over the next year, but New Jersey should be on the upper end of performance within that spectrum,” Sacks said. “Five years ago, we were talking about 50% declines, and we made it through that, so we will make it through this too.”

Sacks added that while he isn’t necessarily worried about the modest decline, those in the industry would still be wise to prepare for some downside scenarios.

“From a business planning standpoint, I think we need to plan out multiple scenarios, from things working out relatively well, to things becoming increasingly difficult in terms of a business operating environment,” he said. “For example, if we see a full unpausing of the announced reciprocal tariffs, the US will go into a recession.”

That being said, according to a MMGY Travel Intelligence survey conducted in April, more than 8 in 10 US consumers still intend to travel for leisure over the next 12 months. 

However, the survey revealed that in the next six to 12 months, 80% of US consumers say their travel behavior will change as a result of recent financial news, most notably with 33% of those surveyed saying they will plan to travel closer to home, and 29% saying they will change from an international destination to a domestic destination.

These two data points could actually be a boon for New Jersey, which is a historically strong domestic tourism location.

“The change to domestic travel is positive for New Jersey. We will likely see a pull back on air travel, with more regional drive trips closer to home. That is New Jersey’s strength. Some of the benefits we are seeing from this uncertainty are going to support continued growth for New Jersey,” said Sacks, who added that New Jersey is not nearly as vulnerable as other states to these changes in consumer travel. 

Perception may also drive a shift from international travel to domestic travel in the coming year, with 53% of US consumers surveyed believing that American travelers will be less welcome in other countries as a result of the recent tariff policy decisions.

“Even with these concerns, New Jersey is particularly well positioned,” Sacks said.

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