Will traffic congestion stall tourism growth in Sussex?

Sussex County’s increasing popularity as a tourist destination carries with it some ominous signs.

Though they love the beaches, restaurants and shopping, visitors to the region say one of their top gripes is traffic congestion.

And when traffic and parking detract from the visitors’ experience, it concerns tourism professionals like Scott Thomas, executive director of Southern Delaware Tourism, which is based in Georgetown.

“We have shared that (negative) feedback with officials from our towns, county and state,” he said. “As tourism promoters, we are definitely concerned about the visitor experience.”

Carol Everhart, president of the Rehoboth Beach-Dewey Beach Chamber of Commerce, said the congestion has definitely evoked a negative response from tourists traveling on roads in parts of the county.

“We have already seen it in certain areas,” she said.

That concern is reflected in Delaware Department of Transportation statistics that show dramatic increases in Sussex County traffic in recent years. And those increases, along with accompanying congestion, have been recorded on both north-south and east-west roads.

Moreover, the statistics show another trend: Congestion is no longer the exclusive domain of the typical summer vacation season.

On Route 113 between routes 9 and 404, for example, February traffic increased 101 percent between 2010 and 2016. By contrast, the July traffic volume increased by 19 percent during the same time period.

Background:Sussex traffic worsens with growth in housing, jobs, tourism

More:'The traffic is us': Sussex grapples with density debate as county housing grows

And Delaware has been reluctant to build new roads, depending instead on less costly improvements – like turn lanes, synchronized traffic lights and selected widening in places like Route 24 – to improve traffic flow.

“I wasn’t expecting this much traffic,” said Melanie Barrett, a York, Pennsylvania resident, who stopped at Bethany Blues in Lewes for lunch with her family.

The Barrett family, in town for the day, was heading to the beach at Cape Henlopen State Park for the afternoon before heading home.

Statistics show that day trips are far more common than visitors who spend more time in southern Delaware.

Among the reasons for visiting; beaches, restaurants and shopping.

Statistics from the Chamber show that traffic around Tanger Outlets in Rehoboth Beach – one of the region’s most popular attractions – does not vary much throughout the year, which means that shopper traffic to those stores is now more consistent, regardless of the season.

Although February is the slowest month in terms of traffic around the Route 1 stretch, September attracts just as many travelers as the traditional May-August vacation timeframe, the statistics from the Chamber show.

For tourism promoters, the possibility of disgruntled visitors is a frightening prospect.

But local restaurants, traditionally struggling during the slow offseason, are delighted to see more customers after Labor Day.

“I think the year-round increase in population has leveled out the swings in what used to be a seasonal business,” said Scott Kammerer, president of SoDel Concepts, which owns 10 restaurants along the southern Delaware coast.

Tourism in Delaware attracts 9 million visitors annually and they spend over $3 billion on food, lodging and entertainment. About 7 million tourists, spending $1.9 billion annually  – 40 percent of the state total – end up vacationing in Sussex County.

Statewide, tourism is second only to agriculture in terms of the contribution to the Delaware economy. More than 18,000 people are employed in tourism-related jobs in Sussex County.

Background:Sussex job growth part of traffic congestion equation

Surveys show that most visitors are from Pennsylvania, the District of Columbia, New Jersey, New York and Maryland. And the majority of those tourists drive to their destination, adding to congestion on Delaware roads.

“We are not a fly-to destination, we are definitely a drive-to destination,” said Thomas.

For years, tourism in southern Delaware was decidedly seasonal with many businesses closing after Labor Day and not reopening until the following spring.

In the late 1980s, the Rehoboth Beach-Dewey Beach Chamber of Commerce made a decision to reverse that pattern by hiring a president to create new events to attract visitors in the off season.

Newly appointed President Carol Everhart’s first effort was the Sea Witch Festival, an October event in its 29th year that now attracts over 100,000 visitors.

And other events throughout southern Delaware – car shows, arts and crafts fairs, film showings, historic tours, concerts – including several major jazz festivals – have contributed to the offseason allure.

“We are no longer a seasonal community,” said I. G. Burton, a Sussex County councilman.

The number of offseason visitors “is constantly going up,” Everhart said.

Witness that, 20 years ago, 80 percent of all businesses in Rehoboth Beach closed in the offseasons while now, that same percentage stays open all year.

“I see it as a positive that more people want to visit and move to our area,” said Kammerer.

“I think it is a good kind of a problem to have,” said Ruth Briggs King, a state representative from Georgetown.

More:Gov. Carney touts tourism, more during summer season kickoff

And others agree with Kammerer that the growth in tourism has been helped the off-season economy.

“Now, the offseason is so much better” for local businesses, said state Sen. Gerald Hocker.

Milton resident Robert Billmyre agreed.

“Now, there is really no such thing as an offseason,” he said.

Though the annual increases in tourism show no signs of abating, some predict that congestion may eventually discourage visitors.

“It is eventually going to affect tourism,” predicted Milton resident Jeff Stone.

But Kammerer, who grew up in New Jersey, thinks tourists will adapt to the traffic.

“People who live here have adapted to it, and understand when to avoid the highway,” he said. “You learn to do your grocery shopping on Wednesday … and you should be OK."

“Our area has done an excellent job adapting to the change,” Kammerer said. 

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