By Sarah Fertsch
Staff Writer
If you found yourself on the Boardwalk in August 2020, you would have been shocked at how few families were buying ice cream, riding ferris wheels and having a good time. By 2021, with a case of collective “cabin fever,” people came back in droves, seeking a get-away and taste of normalacy. Today, tourists are back and bountiful, but a little more cautious about how they spend their hard-earned vacation dollars.
The pandemic created a microcosm of a traditional economic cycle. In 2020, we experienced a recession and shutdown. In 2021, households were desperate to leave their homes and enjoy a vacation, leading to more crowds and then a leveling off in 2022.
So what did it mean for this summer?
Kelsey McGuire has worked at Gillian’s Wonderland Pier for the past three years. The Atlantic-Cape Community College freshman has operated kiddie rides along the Boardwalk each year, and has noticed the differences between the summer tourist seasons.
“In 2020, everyone was wearing a mask and sanitizer was everywhere. In 2021, the Boardwalk was packed, so much so that you could hardly walk in a straight line,” said McGuire. “This year, the crowds have been lighter than last year.”
If you step onto the boards on a Thursday evening, bands are playing, shoppers enter and exit storefronts, lines sprout from counter-service restaurants, and kids dance and jump and weave their way between the crowds. A majority of the boardwalkers spend their time between 8th and 11th streets. Sixth Street,, where Wonderland Pier is located, seems to be less crowded.
The Wyatt Family, who own a house in Margate, spends at least a month down the shore every summer. Jonathan Wyatt and his wife Juliet enjoy taking their children, Carson, 10, Logan, 6, and Phoebe, 5, mini-golfing, biking on the Boardwalk, and tasting ice cream.
“We set aside over one thousand dollars every year to splurge at restaurants and have a good time,” said Jonathan. “But this year, because of the inflation, we have had to be more mindful of saving money. My wife, Juliet, is a teacher so she doesn’t work in the summer. But because of inflation, she has considered working year-round.”
Juliet Wyatt signed on to work as an online tutor part-time so the family can go to restaurants and boating without worrying about higher costs. “I just hope that this decision doesn’t lead to me working every summer, becoming too dependent on extra income,” she said.
Many families have opted to start a side hustle or an extra part-time gig to cover expenses that have increased this year. For some, inflation has affected them to the point that they have had to cut short or eliminate their vacation entirely.
This past month, as hundreds of young adults head to college, businesses have experienced extreme staffing shortages, which has caused some to reduce operating hours or cut their season short.
Along the Ocean City Boardwalk, multiple stores posted “Help Wanted” signs and shops like Starbucks, which once was open almost all day, lock their doors around 6 p.m.
Businesses such as Steel Pier in Atlantic City have reported that earnings this summer are down by 20 percent compared to 2021. Anthony Catanoso, owner of Steel Pier, told NJ Advance Media that he and his peers consider the tourism surge last year to be “an anomaly.”
“People are not as freewheeling as last year,” Catanoso said.
Diane Wieland, director of the Cape May County Department of Tourism, says that families have had to make difficult decisions while on vacation. She suspects that visitors are making more meals in their rental homes and bringing more items from home, leading to reductions in sales at shops and restaurants. The slowdown this year was expected, but many resorts and retailers are optimistic for the coming months, when many fall activities and festivals take place, Wieland said.
Not all businesses are struggling. The state Division of Gaming Enforcement reports that Atlantic City in-casino gaming revenue was $299 million for July 2022, up 8 percent from July 2021. Jackpot wins are up 16 percent as well.
The success of the NAACP Convention and National Sports Collectors Convention has led to more tourism in Atlantic City, which means that more hotel rooms are booked, restaurant tables are filled, and slot machines are played. This could be a good sign for the late summer and fall seasons.
While they are down the shore, the Wyatt family says that they are more cautious about spending frivolously. The Reading natives are cooking more at home, biking to destinations rather than spending money on gas and parking, turning off the lights to reduce their electric bill, and going to the beach in Atlantic City instead of Margate so they won’t need to buy beach tags.
“You gotta do what you gotta do,” said Jonathan Wyatt. “I am just thankful to have enough money to be down the shore as often as we are. Hopefully things will become easier next year.”
Sarah Fertsch was born and raised in Egg Harbor Township, and holds a dual degree in public relations and political science. Prior to joining Shore Local full-time, she worked at a CSPAN affiliate, writing about Pennsylvania legislation. When she isn’t writing, Sarah enjoys painting, horseback riding, and Crossfit.
