[INSPRATIONAL MUSIC STING] - We're now joined by Jeff Vasser, Executive Director of New Jersey Division of Travel and Tourism.

Jeff, good to see you again.

- Great to be with you again, Steve.

Thanks.

- Jeff, we're doing this in the fall of 2024.

What is the most compelling reason why New Jersey tourism and travel is hot right now?

- Well, because of the diversity of offerings that we're promoting.

People historically just thought of us as the Shore.

And frankly, after Labor Day, people weren't thinking much about New Jersey anymore.

And what we're doing is talking a lot about what there is to do in the fall and the winter.

And additionally, we're talking to an expanded audience.

Our reach is now into Europe, Canada, Mexico, and a lot of it has to do with the upcoming World Cup.

It just gives us a new audience, and a new way of talking to folks.

So now we're talking about agritourism.

In the fall of 2024, we're talking about the 750,000 acres of farmland that we have, and how people can go do pumpkin picking and apple picking, and go to a variety of festivals and enjoy the farm-to-table restaurants that we have to offer.

So there are a lot of new things to talk about.

And I think that's why people are now focused more on New Jersey, right after Labor Day.

- You mentioned the World Cup.

Connect the World Cup to tourism in the state.

What could it really mean when it comes to New Jersey?

- Well, first of all, Steve, the economic impact for the World Cup is gonna be tremendous.

And New Jersey is unique in a sense that, not only are we hosting eight games, including the finals at MetLife Stadium.

We're also going to benefit from the six games that are being played in Philadelphia.

So South Jersey is going to get a tremendous economic impact.

North Jersey is going to get a much greater economic impact.

And we are centrally located for all the people that are gonna be doing Philly, New Jersey, Boston, Toronto.

So what we're trying to do is encourage people to make base camp, if you will, in New Jersey, because we're central to being able to veer off, and try other venues.

Additionally, during the off game, the off days when there's no games being played, take advantage of the fact that you're in the middle of 2026 and it's the Revolutionary War celebration, the Semiquincentennial, the 250th anniversary, all of those things.

And New Jersey has more than 150 Revolutionary War sites.

And we want to encourage people to go explore that, and take advantage of the attractions and the restaurants and everything that's nearby.

So we're encouraging our destinations to bundle, if you will, hotels, restaurants, other attractions, and incorporate all of the things that people wanna see and do on the days that they're not experiencing a match at the World Cup.

- Jeff, you cannot watch television or any media platform without seeing a 30-second spot, a travel and tourism spot.

To what degree do you change those 30-second spots, you and your team, and the marketing folks?

How do they change?

And do they change by season, events, opportunities?

Like, what's the strategy there?

- It's primarily by season, Steve.

So in March, April, we're starting to talk about summer, because we want people to book, - Okay.

- In advance and get, and whether you're doing a hotel room or you're doing an Airbnb, or renting a house.

So March, April, we're focused on those attractions.

When we get to the tail end of summer, we're starting to talk about fall and the changing leaves.

So on TV, we're doing a broader outreach, but then when we're in magazines, or we're doing Facebook or other digital, we're zeroing in on specific attractions.

For example, many people don't realize that Cape May is one of the top birding destinations in the country.

So, - Is that right?

- We'll be focused to those folks, and, - Birding, hold on one second.

Jeff, birding is big?

- Birding.

Cape May is known as the second best location in the country for birding.

It's where the northern and southern cross currents meet and the World Series of Birding is held every year in Cape May in the spring.

It's a tremendous, tremendous attraction down there, yeah.

- I was also gonna ask if there's going to be special marketing and promotion connected to the World Cup?

Meaning, do you promote based on events as well as seasons?

- We do.

So one, for instance, you mentioned World Cup.

We're gonna be doing a lot, - Yeah.

- Internationally as well.

The international folks don't necessarily care about our history.

But if we talk to the German market, our research has shown that the German market really cares about the beaches, they care about Americana.

So we're gonna be talking about a lot of our downtown, cool walking areas in Collingswood, in Madison, in Chatham, in Morristown.

We're gonna be talking a lot about the things that they can do and what appeals to them.

Same thing with the UK.

We're gonna be talking about what appeals to them.

We're gonna be talking about golf and a lot of our outreach.

They're interested in golf, and the beach, and the restaurants.

They wanna see what we do.

And of course, we want to push our vineyards.

We have over 100, - They're awesome.

- 150 breweries, and the wineries, and everybody wants to see those.

- I'm curious about this, Jeff.

How did you find yourself in this position, leading travel and tourism in the state?

- Well, I used to be the President of the Atlantic City Convention and Visitors Authority, which happens to be a state authority for years.

So some of the people that were involved in the Murphy administration remembered my work from there.

And when the Murphy administration came in, they were looking for somebody to head up tourism.

And I was the guy.

But my background, Steve, goes back 35 years in tourism and hospitality, primarily in New York City, but also in New Jersey.

I'm a proud Jersey boy, so it's great to be back doing this.

- Since you mentioned New York.

Real quick before I let you go.

World Cup, Northern New Jersey at MetLife.

Are we competing with New York for where people are going to be when games are not played?

- No, no, we are, our bid was New Jersey and New York City.

So they are our partners in this.

So when we are advertising, when we're promoting internationally, we're gonna be working with New York City.

And we're gonna be using, frankly, New York City as a hook.

Everybody wants to go to New York City, primarily first-timers.

So we want to encourage them to go to New York, and then come over here, and experience something different.

Not the least of which is, no tax on clothes.

- No tax.

That should be a slogan by itself.

Jeff Vasser is the Executive Director of New Jersey Division of Travel and Tourism.

Jeff, thanks so much for joining us, we appreciate it.

- Thanks for having me, Steve.

- You got it.

Stay with us, we'll be right back.

- [Narrator] State of Affairs with Steve Adubato is a production of the Caucus Educational Corporation.

Funding has been provided by Valley Bank.

The New Jersey Economic Development Authority.

Hackensack Meridian Health.

NJM Insurance Group.

The Turrell Fund, a foundation serving children.

United Airlines.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

The New Jersey Education Association.

And by New Jersey Sharing Network.

Promotional support provided by New Jersey Monthly.

And by Meadowlands Chamber.

- (Narrator) A cancer diagnosis changes everything.

- So does where you go for treatment.

- (Narrator) Where other cancer centers offer radiation, at Hackensack Meridian, John Theurer Cancer Center, We’re utilizing the world's most advanced precision radiotherapy... - That can pinpoint and destroy your cancer.

- (Narrator) Some performed clinical trials, but we have one of the nation's most rapidly growing drug discovery programs... - Providing hope with the medicine of tomorrow.

New Jersey's best cancer center.

Know the difference.