Counting Their Blessings

[rusty charly]

Tourists shrugged off higher gasoline prices this summer and visited the Shore, bringing relief to business owners who worried that consumers might hold onto their discretionary income more tightly.

The season likely didn't live up to last year's summer, which capitalized on record high temperatures. But few business owners were complaining last week as Labor Day and the unofficial end of summer approached.

"Every day we've been thinking, "Wow, we're having a great season,' " said Honoree Brown, owner of Point Pleasant Parasail in Point Pleasant Beach. "We were actually kind of worried in June because it was so slow. But July and August came and we were busy."

http://www.app.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060903/BUSINESS/609030350/1003

The tourism industry generated $5.2 billion last year in Monmouth and Ocean counties, up 11.8 percent from 2004. And the groundwork was in place this year for an equally strong summer. The economy was healthy and temperatures were warmer than average.

[Reverend_Smitty]

1. thats strange because I just got back from the shore...

and the people that we were talking to said it was less crowded than usual, they even lost a day of business (Saturday) because of the storm...they closed the causeway going into LBI for a while on Saturday. I donno I guess people stayed off the beach and shopped this weekend. All I know is that we had no problems getting 1 night hotel rooms a week or two in advance which was unheard of the last few years, but the numbers don't lie, I suppose.