Publication: print
Date: Mar 26, 2009

ATLANTIC CITY, NJ -- During the recent Goveor’s Conference on Travel and Tourism, the state’s 16 Destination Marketing Organizations (DMOs) met and unanimously approved a plan to formalize their association with the ultimate objective of evolving tourism standards and funding mechanisms in New Jersey.

At a meeting today, the group undertook its first official action, adopting its bylaws and electing its officers, under the name “New Jersey DMOs (NJDMO).”

The group, which has collaborated informally for several years, expects to advocate for a permanent, rather than grant-based, funding mechanism, among several advocacy initiatives.

“Tourism is our state’s best economic growth vehicle,” says Jim Kirkos, CEO of the Meadowlands Liberty Convention and Visitors Bureau. “New Jersey spends less than 10 million dollars annually on tourism marketing which is considerably less than our neighboring state competitors. The tourism industry represents nearly 10% of all jobs in New Jersey, therefore increasing the investment in tourism marketing would have a direct impact on job creation. Policy makers need to be aware of why it is imperative that we invest in tourism now, to show the world all that New Jersey has to offer and our group is the logical message-bearer.”

Kirkos, Lori Pepenella of the Long Beach Island DMO, and Leslie Bensley of Morris County Tourism Bureau will serve as the initial Executive Committee and preside over Committees on Funding Policy, Nominating, Grant Practice Advisory and Meeting and Event Coordination.

Initially the group will meet 8 times per year, including 4 at which it will convene DMO-only executive sessions and 4 when it will welcome affiliates. Most members of the group are also members of New Jersey Travel Industry Association. NJTIA provides the industry with lobbying services and hosts the Annual Goveor’s Conference on Tourism at which NJDMO announced its formation.

“Beginning with our first summit four years ago at the MDEST conference, DMOs have recognized that speaking in a unified voice would create an important dynamic in the development of a state tourism strategy,” says Jim Kirkos, the Meadowlands Liberty Convention and Visitors Bureau founder.

“We have been patient as collaborators, but our trajectory has been noteworthy – shortly after our first summit in East Rutherford, the state agreed to a grant funding strategy for DMOs, allocating 25% of the state’s marketing budget to DMO’s for regional programs. In March of 2009, we then unanimously signed the Declaration of Destination in Morristown, which allowed us to express the importance of travel and tourism as an economic development tool in New Jersey. At the Newark Performing Arts Center in December of that year, we set an agenda for a regular meeting schedule, and now in Atlantic City we have formalized under a set of objectives and principles that will help us advance our industry in New Jersey.”

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