TOURISM INDUSTRY NEWS & RESOURCES
This partner communication exists to provide timely information on Sonoma County’s tourism and hospitality industry, along with resources to help partners navigate through the COVID-19 crisis and beyond.
October 26, 2021
October is a month that we watch (as I’m sure many of you do too) very carefully. Throughout the month, we are on full crisis alert and prepared to mobilize our crisis response plan should a natural disaster occur. We keep a vigilant watch on the wildfire situation and during this past weekend, we also monitored the rain. This week, SCT will join several others from our community to help identify ways to bridge the gap between locals, visitors and businesses at the SCHA Disaster Response seminar. Identifying ways to better collaborate in a crisis situation is critical for efficient and effective response. More information about the seminar is included below.
 
This past week, SCT and several of our partners hosted a group of meeting planners. The intent of the visit was not only to showcase the destination with the potential of bringing business here, but to hear the planners’ perspectives of, and insights into the destination. Overwhelmingly, the feedback was positive, but we also heard about some growth opportunities. A common sentiment was how they recognized and appreciated the passion and interest in the destination they experienced from our partners during the site visits as well as the diversity of the product offerings. We already knew this, but it was great to hear others convey the same! These attributes will go a long way in differentiating Sonoma County and, ultimately, driving business.

We also started the public listening sessions associated with our Leave No Trace partnership. We appreciate the insights these participants are providing regarding recreating in Sonoma County and how we can better magnify the responsible travel message. Much more to come on this, but we’re off to a great start.

And, as we’re crafting our holiday campaigns, please remember to upload your holiday-specific offers into the hospitality hub that powers content on SonomaCounty.com. If you have challenges working within this site, don’t hesitate to reach out to us. We want to herald our destination during the upcoming holiday season and it’s a much more compelling message with rich content.

Great thanks for you for all you do to support tourism in Sonoma County and your tremendous partnership.
 
Claudia
Claudia Vecchio
President and CEO
Sonoma County Tourism
707-522-5804
Responsible Tourism Marketing & Advertising Opportunities Webinar
Sonoma County Tourism and Miles Partnership invite you to join us on October 28 from 11am-noon for a marketing trends webinar on Responsible Tourism Marketing.

Over the past several years, numerous hospitality businesses have made a commitment to be more socially responsible and inclusive in how they approach their communities as well as their marketing. But finding tangible ways to take action has been more challenging. In this session, we will share trends and specific examples of how you can develop a more inclusive media strategy, target consumers that mirror your community’s values, and create a welcoming digital environment for people with accessibility challenges.

Additionally, Miles will provide an overview of SCT’s valuable audience and promote advertising program opportunities for 2022. 
Opportunity for our Beverage Partners
Our partner, San Francisco Travel, is pleased to announce that they will be holding their Annual Lunch, in person, on December 1st in San Francisco. Given the strong partnership that Sonoma County Tourism and San Francisco Travel share, they’ve asked if Sonoma County beverage partners would be interested in providing product for the event, where they’re expecting about 400 attendees.
 
This opportunity ranges from several partners providing a single case donation, up to one partner hosting the entire event. In exchange, San Francisco Travel will leverage content of participating businesses across their digital channels and provide each participating business with a complimentary membership for the 2022 calendar year. 
 
If interested, please contact Eugenia Cirio at ecirio@sonomacounty.com by October 29th, and let us know how much product you’re able to donate. You're welcome to reach out to Eugenia with any questions.
SCHA Webinar

Bridging the Gap between Tourism and the Community in the Face of Disaster
Wed. October 27 from 9 to 10am via Zoom
Sonoma County Hospitality Association (SCHA) is hosting a forum to start a conversation between the community and the hospitality industry to actively support each other during a disaster. There needs to be a willingness to be prepared with resources and plans that are inclusive of all residents within the local community. Moderator Dr. Nancy Brown will be joined by a stellar panel of forward-looking hospitality/tourism and local emergency leaders.

More information and registration for this free webinar can be found here. 
Window Clings for Drought Messaging

Sonoma County Tourism is pleased to offer our partners new window clings encouraging water conservation. Developed in partnership with Sonoma Water, the 7x7 cling is perfect for placement on restroom mirrors above the sink, or anywhere folks might see it. The clings have a QR code that leads readers to learn more at Sonoma Water’s Drought Is Here. Save Water. page.

To order your free window clings:

  1. Visit our Hospitality Hub here.
  2. Go to Collateral > Materials Requests > Add Materials Request (blue button)
  3. Check your contact information and shipping address
  4. Enter the number of clings you would like
  5. Click save

While there, you’re welcome to order cases of the popular Sonoma County Visitors Map, “Sonoma Safe” materials (window clings, posters, fliers, postcards), and “Hospitality Strong” posters.

Don’t have an account with us, or forgot your password? Email our Data & Systems Specialist, Emma Schmitz, at eschmitz@sonomacounty.com and she can assist you.
Armstrong Reopening!
We’ll leave you with a bit of good news: the Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve forest floor is set to reopen Friday, October 29th **weather permitting**! The East and Pool Ridge trails will remain closed awaiting further restoration.

Please note that to help fund park improvements and visitor amenities, Armstrong will now charge day-use vehicle fees to park in the front lot. Entering Armstrong is still free by foot or bicycle, and there are an abundance of pass options for those interested. Additionally, one-day fee waivers are available for those in need of financial assistance.