New Jersey set a record for the number of people who visited the Garden State in 2016, officials said.
The number of visitors to New Jersey increased by 3.3 percent last year to 98 million. In addition, the tourism industry accounted for a $44.1 billion economic impact — an increase of more than 2.9 percent over the previous year, according to state numbers.
Last year marked the seventh straight year in which the number of visitors to New Jersey increased, officials said.
“Over the last seven years, as the Lt. Governor and Secretary of State, I’ve traveled hundreds of thousands of miles across this great State seeing the amazing and diverse attractions we have to offer,” Lt. Governor Kim Guadagno said in a news release. “So, it’s no surprise that the Travel and Tourism Industry had another year of increased growth across all seasons.”
In 2016, the tourism industry directly supported more than 321,231 jobs in New Jersey. Including indirect impacts, more than a half million jobs — or nearly one in 10 of all New Jersey jobs — depended on tourism.
The New Jersey Division of Travel and Tourism recently released numbers from the past year. In 2016, tourism in New Jersey generated $4.9 billion in state and local tax revenues. Without the tourism industry, New Jersey households would each need to pay $1,525 in order to maintain the current level of state and local government services, state officials said.