CHESTER, N.J. (Morris County) — The New Jersey Highlands Water Protection and Planning Council has received the New Jersey Tourism Industry Association’s (NJTIA) President’s Award, recognizing its work to strengthen tourism and economic development across the Highlands region.
The award was presented earlier this month at the NJTIA Annual Celebration of Tourism Luncheon in Atlantic City, part of the association’s annual conference. NJTIA President Ben Rose said the President’s Award is reserved for projects demonstrating exceptional achievement and broad impact.
“Projects that receive the President’s Award really must stand out with regional or statewide impact,” Rose said. “What was particularly notable about the nomination submitted for the Highlands Council was the collaboration. There was such a diversity of entities involved, from local DMOs and BIDs to historical societies and community organization, all working toward a common goal.”
That goal centered on launching the Highlands’ regional tourism brand and tagline, “you never Knew Jersey.” As part of the initiative, recipients of the Highlands Tourism Expansion Grants were required to incorporate the new branding into their projects. Grants of up to $100,000 were offered without a matching funds requirement.
In total, 11 projects received funding, with nearly $400,000 invested in Highlands towns and counties to support tourism-based economic growth. A full list of funded projects is available on the Highlands Council’s website.
“The development of the Tourism Expansion Grant program was based on input from our County Coalition that has been working to implement the 2022 Highlands Economic Sustainability Plan,” said Maryjude Haddock-Weiler, the Highlands Council’s planning manager and economic sustainability lead. The County Coalition includes economic development experts representing all seven Highlands counties.
Tourism was identified in the 2022 plan as a key economic driver aligned with the Highlands Regional Master Plan, Haddock-Weiler said.
“Our County Coalition members are the on-the-ground experts; we can’t do what they do, but we can help facilitate and advance their efforts and that’s what the branding effort and the Tourism Expansion Grants are doing,” Haddock-Weiler said. “It’s a wonderful bonus to receive industry recognition for this work.”
Highlands Council Executive Director Ben Spinelli said the program also highlights the broader importance of the region to New Jersey residents and visitors.
“While we love being able to provide the towns, counties, and businesses of the Highlands with the ability to tout that ‘you never Knew Jersey’ until you’ve come to the Highlands, it is just as significant to raise awareness about a place where 7 million people get their drinking water and another 18 million visit each year for entertainment and recreation,” Spinelli said. “People tend to protect what they love. The more people who know all the Highlands has to offer, the more they will be inclined to help us protect it for future generations.”
Additional information about the Highlands Council’s Economic Sustainability Plan, Branding and Marketing Plan, and Tourism Expansion Grants is available on the Highlands Council website.
