Happy trails to the Atlantic City Visitor and Welcome Center

One of the most popular tourist destinations in the country, Atlantic City, is closing down the Atlantic City Visitor and Welcome Center on the AC Expressway due to a lack of visitors.

The Press of Atlantic City reports that that the center, which was completed in 1999 and opened in 2000, had expected up to 1,000 visitors a day but never came close to that. It has been reported that some days there were no visitors.

The center has a rather small bathroom and mainly handed out brochures and sold t-shirts and E-ZPass. Also limiting its appeal was the presence of the Boardwalk Information Center which is closer to where the tourists actually gather. You would think that such a popular tourist destination would need an informative welcome center, but many visitors use the internet to gather information before they come.

Despite that factor, the Press of Atlantic City goes on to report that the welcome centers in Cape May and Ocean City are still thriving. One possible factor for that disparity is something you might not think of: better, more spacious bathrooms. Cape May’s Welcome Center served over 94,000 visitors in 2018 and Ocean City’s saw 40,000 guests. Another reason for the success of the Cape May facility is the fact that the ferry stops there and some tour buses leave from there. The AC center, on the other hand, reduced its hours and its employees over the years, culminating in the closing. The Casino Reinvestment Development Association says that social media and digital services will replace the welcome center.

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