Hunterdon County wants tourists to explore the ‘other side’ of NJ

Visitors to Hunterdon County, or even residents themselves, may have a particular downtown area that they like, or might know of one attraction that keeps them coming back.

But Marc Saluk, the county's director of economic development and tourism, said there is much for locals and tourists alike still to discover about this area of western New Jersey.

He suggested that the new "Explore Hunterdon" campaign, being launched through Facebook, Instagram, internet advertisements, press releases and a comprehensive website, is somewhat of an admission to visitors that their experience up to now may not have been a full one.

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"They haven't really realized what else is around them because we haven't done a great job of telling our story, and turning day trippers into folks that realize there's enough to do here to stay for the weekend, or even longer," Saluk said.

While not disparaging or denigrating other parts of the Garden State — particularly now, when the Jersey Shore is the big summer draw — Hunterdon has adopted a clever, geographically-based slogan for its efforts.

The county is marketing itself as "The Other Side of Jersey," and Saluk said there will be offshoot campaigns highlighting the "playful" or "tasty" or "active" sides.

"We're also trying to make sure that people realize this is a different part of Jersey than the Jersey you may be used to experiencing, and that's where we have fun with that tongue-in-cheek tagline," he said.

Part of the aim of the campaign is to unite a collection of diverse municipalities under a singular, unified brand.

Saluk said there's a precedent for this that officials hope will apply here.

"When people hear Napa Valley, they have an image in their head of exactly what that is," he said. "To an extent in this region of the country, when you hear Hudson Valley, there's an image of what that is in a lot of people. We are going to create that same thing."

And it's more than just a series of charming Main Street areas. There's biking, hiking, expansive parks, walkways along the Delaware River, and kayaking, just to name a few.

"We have six vineyards, shortly to be seven, we have a huge agritourism industry and farm-to-table movement with the farmers markets."

What else is there to find in Hunterdon County? Check it all out at explorehunterdonnj.com.

Patrick Lavery is a reporter and anchor for New Jersey 101.5. You can reach him at patrick.lavery@townsquaremedia.com

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