Beach Badge Sales Up In Some NJ Shore Towns

AVALON, NJ (CBS) -- Between high gas prices and a still fragile economy, many of us are choosing to cut back on vacations again. And that--around here anyway--is good news for beach destinations in New Jersey.

If early beach tag sales are any indication, this could well be a banner summer down the shore. According to a study by the Press of Atlantic City, they're up an average of 3%.

On the high end of that is Avalon, where beach tag sales are up a hefty 9%. Borough spokesman Scott Wahl says they put the tags on sale a little early, and that helped a lot.

"An extra 200 grand that weekend alone. They should make just under a million dollars for the season, and that money goes to keep the beaches open with lifeguards and such," Wahl says.

Sea Isle City sales are reported up 6%, while Ventnor's are flat. Margate's are down less than one percent.

Reported by David Madden, KYW Newsradio