OCEAN CITY, Md.- The town of Ocean City says it is preparing for an increase in tourism over the 2024 summer season. Tom Perlozzo, Director of Tourism and Business Development for the town says Ocean City is using data from previous summers to best determine how to allocate resources.
“Well, we’re planning for an increase in tourism this summer and we’re also hoping to continue to build our product around so we’re hoping that besides the summer the winter will show some growth,” said Perlozzo. “We’re doing really good stuff with our intelligence and as far as how we track consumers we are able to get some insight from some programs, the hotels they are staying in, what part of the East Coast they are staying in.”
Perlozzo says national currents can certainly impact the town.
“We are always monitoring tourism for any fluctuation that could be out there, and there’s two sides to that one being inflation which may affect gasoline prices. It may affect, you know, hotel prices, food prices, and we have to be nimble enough to address that as we proceed,” said Perlozzo.
Executive Director of the Hotel Motel and Restaurant Association Susan Jones says she is hoping for a successful summer.
“We always say we’re gonna have a great season but it’s very dependent on mother nature so we’re praying for sunshine and that is always what we need to see in order to have good tourist numbers.”
Jones says she anticipates more tourists to emphasize health during their visit.
“In terms of trends, I would say we are anticipating wellness tourism, to really kind of take off a little more than it has so people getting out and exercising on the beach or doing yoga, kayaking, paddle boarding,” said Jones. “Mock tails are becoming a big thing and producing decent numbers.”
Lastly, Jones said like in recent years, she expects more people to shorten their stays due to the economy.