Office of Public Relations

Pomona, NJ 08240

 

Stockton-Zogby Poll Shows:

 

Vast Number of New Jersey Residents Prefer Atlantic City, Jersey Shore for Entertainment

 

For Immediate Release

Friday, June 03, 2005

Contact: Tim Kelly

Stockton Public Relations

(609) 652-4950

 

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. New Jersey residents overwhelmingly prefer Atlantic City and the Jersey Shore as an entertainment destination, and associate Atlantic City with casinos. The younger an adult you are, the stronger you associate Atlantic City with casinos, according to the new poll, and the younger you are, the more you want to go to Atlantic City.

 

These are just a few of the results some might find to be surprising in the first Stockton-Zogby Poll, released on May 25 at the Carnegie Library Center in Atlantic City.

 

The Stockton-Zogby Poll is a partnership combining the academic recourses of the Richard Stockton College of New Jersey, ranked as one of the top five public liberal arts colleges in the United States according to U.S. News and World Reports Americas Best Colleges, and Zogby International, the internationally recognized polling firm to provide the finest in state and regional survey research.

 

Zogbys methodology consisted of telephone surveys to 1,001 New Jersey adults during a recent five day period (May 17-May 25, 2005.) The survey has a statistical margin of error of 3.2 percent.

 

Some of the other key findings of the survey:

 

         50 percent of New Jersey adults would consider coming to Atlantic City for entertainment and the entertainment they seek goes beyond gambling.

         Of those likely to come to Atlantic City, nearly 37 percent said they would come to gamble, but nearly 21 percent said they would come for concerts, nearly 11 percent for the beach and nearly eight percent for restaurants.

         Of the reasons not to come to Atlantic City, the old stereotype reasons of crime (5.5 percent) and they just dont like Atlantic City (10.3 percent) seem

to be losing steam.

         The major reason people said they would not come to Atlantic City, an overwhelming 41 percent said they were opposed to casino gambling.

         59.3 percent of the respondents said they would be very likely or somewhat likely to consider visiting Atlantic City for upscale dining.

         More than 56 percent said it was very likely or somewhat likely they would consider visiting Atlantic City for the boardwalk, ocean and shopping.

         Atlantic City visitors seemed to prefer a mini-break rather than their main vacation.

         46.9 percent said they would visit Atlantic City for a day trip and 36.5 said they would visit for a weekend getaway.

         Of those surveyed, 91.4 percent have visited Atlantic City, but 52.4 percent have visited with casinos as their main attraction.

 

The survey also revealed that Atlantic Citys visitors are recent visitors with 45 percent visiting within the past year and 19 percent within the last three years and another 7.7 percent within the last five years.

 

Atlantic City attracts the young, and the ethnically diverse. 48.7 of all whites surveyed were likely or somewhat likely to consider visiting A.C. for entertainment; 45.4 percent of the Hispanics and nearly 70 percent of the African Americans. In the youth market, 33 percent of the 18-29 demographic were very likely to visit for entertainment, 32.1 in the same age group for non-gaming attractions and 55.4 percent for music or other concert entertainment.

 

Atlantic City also cross-markets itself well with other towns in the Jersey Shore brand name. Almost 54 percent of those surveyed said they were very likely and 29 percent said they were somewhat likely (nearly 85 percent combined) said they would visit other locations in South Jersey.

 

For casino entertainment, the survey confirmed that Atlantic City is in stiff competition with Las Vegas. More New Jersey residents would prefer to visit Last Vegas for casino entertainment than Atlantic City (29.9 percent said Las Vegas and only 14.2 percent said they most wanted to visit Atlantic City for casino entertainment.) However, Atlantic City topped the Connecticut Casinos (2.9 percent) and Niagara Falls (2 percent) in the Northeast region. Nearly 10 percent (9.9%) did say it was very unlikely they would continue visiting Atlantic City if gaming were available in Philadelphia or New York City, and 10.3 gave the same response if gambling became available in the Catskill Mountain region.

 

 

The major conclusions of the report are as follows:

 

1.      Embrace the casino entertainment brand.

2.      Continue to expand the broad entertainment experience.

3.      Emphasize the mini-break vacation.

4.      Improve the transportation infrastructure.

5.      Market to the young adult.

6.      Celebrate diversity.

7.      Cross-market with the Jersey Shore brand.