Competition for locals looking to book "nearcations" in New York City's tri-state area is heating up. While the Big Apple doesn't need much help on the marketing front, Connecticut just launched its big tourism campaign. Now New Jersey's fabled Atlantic City is wooing northeastern residents to visit — and not for the reasons you might think. 

The Atlantic City Alliance, a non-profit funded and operated by local casinos, is focused on increasing tourism by pitching. The marketing challenge: how to promote a city synonymous with gambling without focusing on casinos? The strategy: woo potential visitors on the city's other charms, as part of a campaign titled "Do Anything. Do Everything."Continue reading...

What do you think of when you think of Nevada? Most tourists would answer, "Las Vegas." That's a perception Nevada would like to change.

At the Governor's Conference on Tourism on November 29 (held in Las Vegas, of course), plans for a new branding campaign for the state of Nevada were announced. While state officials were careful not to downplay the value of Las Vegas as a drawing card, they say they want tourists to understand that there's a lot more to Nevada than the glittery lights, extravagant shows, and gambling casinos of "sin city." 

Even the Las Vegas Mayor, Carolyn Goodman, admitted, "We really need to step it up a bit. While we are well known throughout the world, everybody knows we're the entertainment capital of the world and that's us, we need to do more." Lt. Gov. Brian Krolicki added, "We are going to transition from what we have and what you can see, to really what you can feel and what you can do."Continue reading...

The job title may still be a bit insulting, but the existence of it says a lot. Resorts Casino Hotel in Atlantic City has hired an “alternative lifestyle marketing” director specifically to target LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) consumers.

The casino claims it is the first property (presumably in Atlantic City) to dedicate an executive position to courting the so-called "gay dollar," a move that is certainly emblematic of an iconic casino property's move to recover.Continue reading...