Atlantic City by the numbers

Atlantic City reports that business is good these days. More than 19,500 visitors stopped for information, directions and reservations at the Visitor Information Centers operated by the Atlantic City Convention & Visitors Authority (ACCVA) on the Boardwalk and the Atlantic City Expressway, a 24% jump from last August, and contributing to a year-to-date increase of 10% over year-to-date 2011. As well, use of the ACCVA’s official tourism information Web site, http://www.doatlanticcity.com , showed a similar increase in visitation. The site logged more than 441,000 unique visitors in August, a 20% increase from last August. Year-to-date 2012 figures are 24% higher than the same period in 2011. Moreover, nearly 391,000, or 67%, of those Web users were new visitors to the site. ACCVA president Jeff Vasser said: “This trend continues to indicate that new visitors are interested in entertainment and events as well as hotel packages. Aside from our home page, the calendar of events and hotel package pages are the two most-visited pages of the site.” It was also a busy month for conventions and trade shows in the Atlantic City Convention Center and the hotel properties during a period that usually experiences a summer slump. A total of 16 such events were held in the city in August 2012, versus 6 in August 2011. Combined, they attracted nearly 5,000 attendees, who used more than 7,100 room nights and generated more than $2.4 million in delegate spending. In this respect, Vasser noted: “We value our convention visitors. It’s a great tool to generate additional business. They often bring their families and extend their stay to take advantage of Atlantic City’s resort amenities. Or, they come back later with their families once they see how much there is to do here.” Go to http://www.doatlanticcity.com for more.