By Stephen Appezzato
SEA BRIGHT – Against the picturesque backdrop of Sea Bright’s beachfront, local officials and community leaders gathered May 20 to launch the 2025 summer tourism season, celebrating a record-breaking season last year and the promise of an exciting one ahead for both residents and visitors.
Tourism is no small matter in Monmouth County, but “the driving force to the success of what Monmouth County is,” said Monmouth County Commissioner Director Thomas A. Arnone. Unlike in other counties, the tourism season in Monmouth doesn’t just stretch from Memorial Day to Labor Day. “We’ve extended that” throughout the year, Arnone said, to boost local businesses and offer events and amenities to residents.
Record-Breaking Growth
Arnone said last year’s tourism season was “incredibly successful,” noting Shore towns surpassed $30 million in beach revenue for the first time. That achievement reflects a broader up-ward trend: tourism revenue across the county rose from $2.9 billion in 2023 to $3 billion last year.
“It really is one of the most successful counties in all of New Jersey,” Sea Bright Mayor Brian Kelly said.
“People want to be here, and people will pay to be here, and people will spend to be here,” Arnone said. “And those are very, very, very important parts.”
Arnone also noted the lodging and hotel side of tourism in Monmouth is growing, too. “People make this the destination,” much like families traveling to the Outer Banks or other iconic summer locales. “They pack the car and they come here and they spend their week here, and that’s really special for many, many reasons and helps many people,” he said.
To attract new vacationers, the county invests in marketing and creative outreach, like its annual travel guide; 40,000 copies are distributed throughout neighboring states.
“I’ve seen it firsthand,” Arnone said. “The requests come into our tourism industry department asking for that, which is really, really special,” he said.
This year’s guide features a cover photo by Middletown resident and photographer Nick Zaremba. His aerial image of waves crashing against a Sea Bright jetty was the county’s photo contest winner.
“It’s a great honor to represent this county that we live in and call home, and to spread the beauty to everyone who visits and sees it for themselves,” Zaremba said.
For the 2025 tourism season, residents and visitors can soon visit monmouthcountybeaches.com for timely public safety and beach condition updates. The site will offer real-time updates on wave heights, water temperatures, UV index levels, surf conditions, and water quality – tools designed to ensure both residents and tourists enjoy the shore safely.
Small Businesses and an Environmental Focus
Beyond the sand and surf, Monmouth County is also seeing an expansion in its craft beverage scene. The county’s Brewed and Distilled in Monmouth program, launched in 2022, now highlights more than 30 local breweries, wineries and distilleries.
“In addition to our beaches and boardwalks, the craft beverage industry has (been) experiencing rapid, rapid growth, especially right here in our county,” Arnone said. Many of these businesses host special events year-round, adding to the county’s draw.
By visiting brewedanddistilledinmonmouth.com, tourists and locals alike can discover these establishments. “We encourage (you) to visit these great businesses and continue the support for them,” Arnone said.
The initiative also connects with other local programs like Grown in Monmouth and the upcoming Slice of Monmouth, which will spotlight local pizzerias. That program will launch in June.
The role of local chambers of commerce was also spotlighted at the tourism kickoff. Jennifer Eckhoff, executive director of the Eastern Monmouth County Chamber of Commerce, emphasized the chamber’s long-standing role in supporting area businesses. “We like to spread our business around to our members’ locations, as well as the towns that we support,” Eckhoff said. “We look forward to supporting those towns for another 100 years.”
Arnone agreed, calling those chambers a “vital part” of the county. While large retailers like Home Depot, Target and others have their place, “the backbone of our county is our small businesses,” he said. “As long as these small businesses are successful, and we’re able to help them and assist them in there, Monmouth County will be in a great place.” Tourism and environmental stewardship go hand in hand and few know this better than Cindy Zipf, executive director of Clean Ocean Action.
“We have a great economy because we have great beaches and great water quality,” Zipf said.
Reflecting on the county’s environmental journey, she recalled darker times.
In the 1980s, “we were the ocean dumping capital of the world,” she said. “But, we all got together – the economists and the environmentalists – and we fought back,” Zipf said.
Monmouth County was instrumental in leading water quality testing and the push for environmental legislation that had national implications. “We got stronger, incredible programs to reduce sources of pollution,” she said.
“New Jersey has been at the forefront, but Monmouth County has been at the leading forefront,” Zipf added.
In Other News
Officials announced the long-anticipated Rumson-Sea Bright Bridge is just “days away” from opening. Arnone expects the new bridge to be operational around Memorial Day, pending safety tests.
From record-breaking tourism revenues to new infrastructure and strong environmental protections, Monmouth County is entering the 2025 summer season with optimism.
We’re “proud to be able to say we live (at) the Jersey Shore for many, many reasons,” Arnone said. This season, those reasons are on full display.
The article originally appeared in the May 22 – 28, 2025 print edition of The Two River Times.
