By DONALD WITTKOWSKI Press of A.C. Staff Writer | Thursday, March 18, 2010 |

ATLANTIC CITY – Expect the beaches to be a little more crowded, the hotels to be a little fuller and tourists’ wallets to be a little looser this summer.

Hotel and tourism officials see signs of a modest recovery under way and are predicting a solid – although not spectacular – summer for Atlantic City and the Cape May County shore resorts.

Wildwood, Wildwood Crest and North Wildwood are hoping to rebound from an estimated 8 percent drop in business last summer blamed on the sluggish economy and soggy June weather.

“We are not signing new business, but we’re not losing business, either. We are holding our own,” John Siciliano, executive director of the Greater Wildwoods Tourism Improvement and Development Authority, said Thursday.

Howard Bacharach, executive director of the Atlantic City Hotel & Lodging Association, said room bookings should be better this summer. He foresees a slight recovery continuing in the Atlantic City market through the fall.

“I think that things will definitely be stronger than last summer,” Bacharach said. “The spring season is already better than last year’s spring season. I think we’re gradually coming out of the weak economy. It’s not going to be overnight, but we’re starting to see the dollars loosen up.”

However, Bacharach doubts that Atlantic City will build back up to its pre-recession heyday. Since peaking in 2006, the casino industry has been mired in a three-year revenue slump.

“I don’t know if we’ll ever get back, quite honestly,” Bacharach said.

Siciliano expressed hope that a healthier economy and much better weather than last year’s rain-drenched summer will boost business back to 2007 and 2008 levels.

“We are looking for a good summer again,” he said. “But we know that the economy is still not great. This year, if we can get the weather to give us a break, we’re talking about a good season, not a great one.”

In remarks Thursday at an Atlantic City Hotel & Lodging Association luncheon, Siciliano told the audience that the Wildwoods will continue with their successful “Love Those Wildwood Days!” promotional campaign inspired by the old Bobby Rydell “Wildwood Days” song. Siciliano previewed two new TV ads for this summer that capitalize on that theme.

The Wildwoods, known for their amusement rides, wide beaches and doo wop-style architecture, attract about 9 million visitors annually. Siciliano said the three towns hope to increase their business by staging more than 100 family-oriented special events and attracting more conventions.

“The Wildwoods are proud of the fact that we host more events on our island than any other Jersey shore resort and maybe even every other resort on the East Coast,” he said.

Prior to the arrival of casino gambling in Atlantic City in 1978, the Wildwoods and Atlantic City competed for tourism dollars. Siciliano noted that the Cape May County beach towns now focus on the family market, while Atlantic City caters more toward the adults-only gambling crowd.

These days, Atlantic City’s casino-dominated tourism market has been hurt by competition from a new source – slot parlors in Pennsylvania that will add Atlantic City-style table games later this year. Atlantic City gaming revenue has fallen 18 months in a row.

Mark Sachais, general manager of Trump Marina Hotel Casino, which hosted the Hotel & Lodging Association luncheon, predicted that business will start to improve with the arrival of spring and summer. Record snowfall this winter kept gamblers away in droves, he said.

“With the bad weather finally breaking, there is a lot of cabin fever and pent-up demand,” Sachais said. “Right now, it’s hard to predict just how strong the market will be, but certainly we’re looking forward to summer because that’s our biggest asset.”