NJ wants Jersey shore visits for Valentine’s Day

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — Officials are hoping people will show some love on Valentine’s Day as the Jersey shore works to recover from Superstorm Sandy.

New Jersey Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno launched a public-private initiative yesterday to support shore restaurants, hotels and other businesses on Thursday and beyond.

The state says New Jersey’s tourism industry had been on the rebound with tourists spending $38 billion on their visits in 2011. New visitor expenditures were just shy of the record $39.5 billion reached in 2007.

Out-of-state visitors accounted for 64 percent of all tourism revenue in 2011.

Guadagno hopes the program gets the word out that the Jersey shore is open for business.