Live from the New Jersey Tourism Industry Association Conference in Atlantic City, this episode heads to Cape May County for a conversation with Diane Weiland, a leader whose destination has been riding a nearly uninterrupted upward growth curve for six years. Diane breaks down the strategic choices behind Cape May’s sustained success, including:• Understanding shifting visitor behavior• Leveraging natural assets without over-engineering the experience• Extending the season beyond Memorial Day–Labor Day• Using influencers and interest-based media to reach today’s travelers• And why authenticity, not reinvention, is Cape May County’s competitive edge. 🧭 What You’ll Learn • Why Cape May continues to grow while other destinations cycleDiane explains their 94% post-COVID recovery and why the county’s assets align with today’s traveler mindset. • How studying visitor “wants” drives smarter strategyBucket-list experiences, authenticity, nature, and open spaces shape Cape May’s messaging. • The secret weapon: diversity of offerings47 campgrounds, beaches, B&Bs, fishing ports, birding hotspots, boardwalks, the peninsula microclimate—Cape May stands apart from other coastal destinations. • Turning shoulder seasons into revenue seasonsHow a once-summer-only economy became a 9-month (and growing) destination through special events, second-home owners, and data-driven marketing. • What interest-based media means for DMOs in 2026From pet-friendly travel to accessibility, Diane outlines how influencers tell stories DMOs can’t tell themselves.