Call it a rite of passage. Call it a must-visit for any modern New Jersey governor. Just don't call it a vacation.
Gov. Phil Murphy will set off on a 9-day overseas business mission next month that includes a visit to Israel with stops in Tel Aviv and the holy city of Jerusalem. Israel has been a destination for just about every elected governor for the past three decades.
But first, Murphy will spend four days in Germany, where he served as U.S. ambassador under then-President Barack Obama.
The days will be long, according to the administration and Choose New Jersey, a business-funded nonprofit that is spearheading the trip.
The governor will pack about five events into each day. They'll include roundtables, closed-door meetings and dinners with business executives, forums and a policy speech or two.
Murphy's mission? Attract new business to the state.
"New Jersey, with strong public schools and universities, a strategic location between major markets, and a highly-educated workforce, is a first-rate place to live, work, and raise a family, all reasons why businesses should choose the Garden State," Jose Lozano, CEO and president of Choose New Jersey, said.
"The governor will be making this case directly to hundreds of international business leaders and executives next month," he said.
It'll be Murphy's first overseas trip in his official capacity as governor since he took office in January.
He's hardly the first governor to use overseas trips to try and lure new business to the Garden State. But his team argues his time as U.S. ambassador puts him at a unique advantage.
"He's committed to leveraging his skills and experiences to foster new business partnerships and pitch the state as a smart investment opportunity," Lozano said.
Murphy lands in Berlin on Oct. 16. Within hours of touching down, he plans to announce Choose New Jersey will open a "state promotional office" to serve as a European hub for attracting businesses and investments.
Murphy, who still has a home in Berlin after he lived there for four years starting in 2009, will also have dinner with the heads of some of Germany's top companies.
He'll also visit Frankfurt and Hamburg.
Israel has been a destination for every elected governor except one for the past three decades.
Murphy heads to Israel on Oct. 20, where he'll spend four days mixing cultural events with business roundtables and forums.
It's been a destination for every elected governor except one for the past three decades.
Unlike recent governors, Murphy isn't traveling with a large entourage of staffers and members of the business community. Instead, he'll have a a trimmed-down staff and some members of Choose New Jersey.
First Lady Tammy Murphy will also be on the trip.
It's the first time Murphy will return to Germany since he took office. According to his staff, he hasn't been there since New Years.
The last time he was in Israel was in July 2017.