We have conducted two studies: The first is a nationwide consumer survey of 800 potential travelers, the second a survey of local hospitality businesses.
The consumer survey shows that consumer perceptions vary: Some travelers think there was total devastation, others think there was relatively little. This translates also into how they will choose to travel or not - some have said they will come (and indeed some have already planned to do so) in order to support Sonoma County, others said they will wait until they know they should come.
This sentiment is what we meant when we talked about providing "permission to travel" for visitors, letting them know that not only are we open for business but that we also want them to come visit us. We will continue to monitor consumer sentiment via our owned and influenced social media channels.
The survey of local businesses is still underway, but preliminary data show a similar divergence - some businesses suffered because of the fires, other businesses saw an increase or no change. From their customers, some are seeing people staying away, while others are seeing customers coming out to support a region they love.
The insights we get from these surveys will help us as we target our marketing message and make sure we have the right message for each audience.
SCT has been active in marketing Sonoma County as open for business and ready to accept visitors.
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