Posted: Thursday, 11 March 2010 5:24AM

Should Jersey Spend Money On Promoting Tourism?

There's increasing concern Governor Christie may propose cutting the advertising budget for the Jersey Division of Travel and Tourism - so the Assembly Tourism and Arts Committee has kicked off a series of public hearings to gather testimony about the importance of state support for the tourist industry.

During the inaugural hearing at the Paper Mill Playhouse in Millburn, Committee Chair Matt Milam said "if you don't invest advertising in our tourism and the arts it's not going to grow …it's an investment that we need to keep investing in to get the dollars back - because for every dollar spent on advertising, on tourism, you're getting 30 back."

Joe Simonetta, the Executive Director of the Jersey Travel Industry Association, says "we're not insensitive to the economic problems in the state, but we are a solution, not necessarily a spending source…500 thousand people are employed by the tourism industry, and you add in the arts, it's about 525 thousand - it generates about 40 billion dollars in revenue to the state every year."

Assemblywoman Valerie Huttle - who's a member of the panel - said "it makes sense and it's a wise investment - quite frankly, it will keep the economy thriving in downtown areas of Jersey, and for the state as a whole."

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