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In Atlantic City, there are many ways to roll. Sun seekers can loll on the beach. Shoppers will scurry to stores. Music lovers can settle in for a show or a free pipe organ concert. Sightseers board tour boats. It all proves that this city, best known for gambling, is about far more than slots and jackpots.
“Atlantic City is a destination with gaming. We’re not just a gaming destination,” says Heather Colache, tourism account manager at the Atlantic City CVB. “It’s an all-encompassing experience.”
Along the Boardwalk
Of course, the hopeful do pour into the nine casinos that dominate the city’s skyline, but they also duck into the local shops along its famed seven-and-a-half-mile boardwalk. There’s Fralinger’s for take-home saltwater taffy, specialty shops and boutiques at casinos, including 40 shops in the Quarter, and a Cuban-themed shopping mall at the Tropicana. The largest concentration of stores is Tanger Outlets, with some 60+ retail shops steps off the boardwalk. When tour groups arrive there together, the outlet’s staff hands them coupon books, and off they go, in search of deals, partly motivated by New Jersey’s tax-free shopping on shoes and clothing.
Find the Unexpected
Atlantic City’s 17,500+ hotel rooms fill up regularly, and loads of restaurants make sure those guests stay well fed. Nearly every cuisine is represented, and some of the best local places are tucked away in neighborhoods. Colache recently dined for the first time at an Afghan-French fusion restaurant that has been there for years.
“The variety here is enormous,” she says, “from celebrity chefs to mom and pops.”
The wide range extends to hotels, with rooms “to fit any budget,” Colache says. And properties are constantly being refreshed, she adds. “During Covid, all our hotels took it as a chance to do some remodeling. We’re a shore town; we keep things updated.”
A Warm Welcome
Arriving at the Jersey shore, motorcoach groups get a warm welcome. Gone are the days when buses parked in remote lots and passengers were shuttled into downtown. There’s ample and reasonable motorcoach parking (about $10-$25 a day depending on the season) in the city, and when a motorcoach pulls up to deliver passengers to their casino hotel, hotel staff climb aboard to explain group bonuses (provided by each casino) as well as the casino’s amenities and layout. If it’s a group’s first time to the city, the Atlantic City CVB can have a step-on guide give a city tour.
An assortment of transportation makes it easy to take in everything without wearing out the soles. Jitney buses prowl city streets. Tram shuttles are able to transport guests up and down the Boardwalk. And, for a breezy ride for two that’s been a boardwalk tradition since 1887, visitors can hail a wicker chair, pushed by a strong attendant. In a city where there are so many ways to roll, it’s one more fun way to do so.
For more information, contact:
Heather Colache
Atlantic City Group Tours