OCEAN COUNTY – Just in time for the official start of the Jersey Shore summer season, the Ocean County freeholders have announced that tourism dollars grew nearly two percent last year, injecting $4.76 billion into the local economy.
Tourists spent $1.47 billion on lodging, $1.16 billion on food, and nearly $1 billion in retail sales, the county said.
Tourists are returning steadily, after the great recession in 2008 and Super Storm Sandy in 2012.
The state released figures that showed Ocean County brings in 10 percent of all tourism dollars spent in the state.
“Ocean County’s tourism dollars have increased by almost 10 percent over the last three years,” Freeholder Joseph Vicari said. “These dollars support our local economy year round and for our residents, this means a stronger economic outlook, employment and a more stable tax base.”
