Two-thirds of New Jerseyans plan to “Go Down The Shore” this season
NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. – As the first day of summer arrives and vacations get into full swing, just over two-thirds of New Jersey residents say they will spend time at the Jersey shore this summer despite the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy, according to a new Rutgers-Eagleton Poll.
“Typical shore-goers do not seem all that deterred by any remnants of Sandy,” said Ashley Koning, manager of the Rutgers-Eagleton Poll. “While the storm has some effect on their plans and some will visit for a shorter time, most plan to come back for their usual stay, and the promotional campaign seems to be reinforcing this notion among those who are aware of it.”
In general, most New Jerseyans plan a trip to the shore for at least a few days this summer – with 7 percent spending the whole summer at the beach. According to poll results, 96 percent of those who typically visit the Jersey Shore plan to do so again this season – with another quarter of residents who don’t go annually joining them this summer.
Among all who are planning a shore vacation, 39 percent expect to do day trips only, while 20 percent plan to do short two- to three-day stays. About 40 percent will stay longer: 15 percent will stay from four days to a week, while 17 percent plan to visit for more than a week.
Sandy does not seem to have shortened planned visits for most of those who usually vacation at the Jersey Shore: 63 percent will spend about as much time as in summers past, while 14 percent will stay even longer. Only 19 percent are planning shorter than normal visits, and just a few (2 percent) will not visit at all. For the 21 percent spending less time, just under six in ten say Sandy is the reason for their truncated plans.
Day trips continue to be most popular this summer among all visitors – especially with those who live in urban (51 percent) and exurban (41 percent) areas, and are in the lowest income bracket (44 percent). Summer homeowners are more likely to stay down the shore longer as well, while renters are more likely to stay for shorter periods of time.
Residents who have seen or heard the “stronger than the storm” ad campaign promoting Jersey Shore tourism are also 9 points more likely to say they plan to head down the shore this summer – 70 percent, compared to 61 percent who are not aware of the ads. Those aware of the ad campaign are also more likely to spend a longer time at the shore.
“Summer is here, and New Jersey beachgoers are acting on the view that we are stronger than the storm,” said Koning. “The outlook for the summer tourism season appears pretty stable, and while some are cutting back on their shore time this summer, most are planning to spend as much or more time catching some rays and waves and strolling the boardwalks.”
The poll results indicate that the summer crowd is younger and relatively urban: 71 percent of residents under age 30 are regular shore-goers, compared to 41 percent of senior citizens. The younger visitors are more likely to take shorter trips, while older vacationers and those who are well-to-do are more likely to stay longer. Day trips are most popular for those who typically visit the shore. While more than half take shorter trips, 21 percent go for more than a week, and another 10 percent hang out for the entire summer.
As for where they stay, 45 percent of the typical shore crowd rents down the shore, 22 percent own a summer home, and 30 percent say they do not stay overnight. Twenty-four percent of summer homeowners say their houses suffered significant damage from Hurricane Sandy, but 9 out of 10 homeowners are still able to stay in their homes this summer. One in ten either relocated to another place or is still looking for one. Among those who typically rent, nearly three-quarters say they have had no problems renting this year, compared to only 8 percent who say they have had a problem; eighteen percent are unsure of their rental status for this summer.
Results are from a poll of 888 New Jersey adults conducted statewide among both landline and cell phone households from June 3-9 with a margin of error of +/- 3.3 percentage points.