Tourism Industry News & Resources | | This partner communication exists to provide updates on Sonoma County Tourism’s programs and offerings, along with additional news and resources to support Sonoma County’s tourism and hospitality industry. | |
| |  | Great thanks to all who joined us for the 2026 Sonoma County Tourism Annual Meeting! We were delighted to see so many of you interested and engaged in the speakers and topics provided during the jam-packed day. We were fortunate to have travel icon, Rick Steves with us to reiterate the value of developing experiences that tell a textured and compelling story about your brand. You're passionate about what you're providing to your customers, so tell them the story and give them the hands-on experience that can elevate your brand to become meaningful and important to them! We also heard from Jamie Knee whose program, Wine as a Passport encourages people to develop partnerships with other visitor-facing entities. SCT offers the "Rapid Connections" events for this very purpose! If you're interested in developing business-driving partnerships, watch the TINR for information about upcoming Rapid Connections events. The afternoon featured breakout sessions from industry leaders including Lynn Mohrfeld, Executive Director of the California Hotel & Lodging Association, Patric Smyton, Tourism Economics, providing both national and local research, a group of highly respected meeting planners providing their perspectives on site selection, Noble Studios gave an update on AI in tourism marketing and Jamie Knee dug deeper into developing partnerships.
The purpose of the Annual Meeting is to create business-driving opportunities for our partners, but also to instill the FY26-27 Board of Directors, Officers and Committee members. We are thrilled to have tremendous industry leaders as part of our Board. As of Oct. 1, these are:
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Michael Collins, Vinarosa Resort & Spa: Chair of the Board
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John Kenedy, Four Sisters/Kenwood Inn & Spa: Treasurer
- Karim Ikrimah, Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa: Secretary
- Joe Bartolomei, The Farmhouse Inn: Marketing Committee Co-Chair
- Jennifer Buffo, Pure Luxury Transportation: Destination Sales Committee Chair
- Thera Buttaro, Bodega Bay & Beyond: Vacation Rental Committee Chair
- Margaret Grahame: Community Engagement Committee Chair
- Brandon Mrkvicka, Hampton Inn Windsor: Finance & Legal Committee Chair
- Bert Rangel, River's End Restaurant & Inn: Acting Governance Committee Chair
- Caroline Shaw, GALLO: Marketing Committee Co-Chair
- Andrea Harris, Hilton Garden Inn
- Christopher Hunsberger, Appellation
- Kirstyne Lange, KAL Consulting
- Kirk Lok, Quality Inn Petaluma/Fairfield Inn Sebastopol
- Matthew Strawn, Flamingo Hotel & Spa
- Tim Zahner, Sonoma Valley Visitors Bureau
- Bill Arnone, Legal Counsel - Ex-Officio
- Ethan Brown, Sonoma County Economic Development Collaborative - Ex-Officio
- David Guhin, CEO Sonoma County/McCall Miller (alternate) - Ex-Officio
- Marie McCusker, Downtown Petaluma Association/Visit Petaluma (representing the visitors centers) - Ex-Officio
- Jon Stout, Charles M. Schulz Sonoma County Airport - Ex-Officio
- Bert Whitaker, Sonoma County Regional Parks/Steve Ehret (alternate) - Ex-Officio
- Jeremy Weinstein, Graton Resort & Casino - Ex-Officio
- Claudia Vecchio, Sonoma County Tourism - Ex-Officio
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In This Issue:
- A Look Back at the Fiscal Year 25-26
- Seven Secrets of Inclusive Hospitality - October 15
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Public Relations Media Opportunities - TIME SENSITIVE
- Participate in Black Cod Week - October 17-25
- Highlight Your Business During Holiday Season - Here's How
- Partner Education Sessions - Checkout Upcoming Topics
- SMART Healdsburg Station Location Survey
- Redwood Empire Food Bank Project Pasta
| | A Look Back at the Fiscal Year 25-26 |
Annual Report & Year in Review Video | | If you joined us, we're glad you did. If not, the resources below will help you catch up and get started. Sonoma County's visitor economy grew at a moderate rate this fiscal year, hotel performance strengthened through the spring, earned media and paid media efficiency both improved, and the organization secured a new three-year Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) and Business Improvement Area (BIA) Assessment agreements with the County! We look forward to a new and prosperous year, thank you again for helping us along the way. | | Seven Secrets of Inclusive Hospitality |
Thursday, October 15 | |
Close to 100 hospitality professionals in Sonoma County Tourism have been trained in the Seven Secrets of Inclusive Hospitality.
A complimentary training available to Sonoma County partners and a key element in our Wine Country for All of Us initiative.
Whether you are a winery, lodging property, attraction, visitor center or any business, this is a unique and guaranteed opportunity to learn things you may not be thinking of in your guest service experience.
Join us TOMORROW or wait for upcoming sessions in January, March and May and registration links will soon be live here.
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Date: Thursday, October 15, 2026
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Time: 9:00am-12:00pm
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Location: Sonoma County Tourism, 3558 Round Barn Blvd. Suite 112, Santa Rosa
Discover how you can learn how to truly meet each visitor where they're at.
| | Public Relations Media Opportunities | | |
Hotel Partners: Help Gauge Interest in a Possible In-Room Sonoma County Video
Sonoma County Tourism is exploring interest among our hotel partners in possibly producing a promotional video for guest room television systems. The video would showcase things to see and do across Sonoma County, inspiring guests to explore our communities, restaurants, wineries, outdoor experiences, arts, and cultural attractions.
We’d love your input as we assess interest and feasibility. Would your property be interested in offering this video in guest rooms?
Please contact publicrelations@sonomacounty.com with your interest and any information about your content requirements. Your feedback will help shape the project and determine next steps.
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Veteran’s Day Military Travel Discounts
A journalist with The Points Guy (3.8 million unique monthly visitors) is compiling a roundup of Veterans Day travel discounts for military members and veterans. Is your Sonoma County hotel offering a relevant discount or special promotion?
If so, please send offer details to publicrelations@sonomacounty.com, including eligibility requirements and whether it is ongoing or available only on specific dates, along with one horizontal photo of your hotel. Deadline is Wednesday, October 14 by 5 PM PT.
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Irish Independent – Irish Expats in Sonoma County
A freelance writer for the Irish Independent is seeking potential profiles for her weekly column, which features interviews with Irish people living abroad. Is your Sonoma County property home to any Irish staff members who would be willing to share their story?
The writer is interested in speaking with Irish employees about their work, life in Sonoma County, and what brought them to the area. Potential candidates could include a chef working at a resort, a hotel concierge, an activity instructor, or other hospitality professionals.
If you have a potential candidate, please send their name, role, property, and contact information to publicrelations@sonomacounty.com.
| | Black Cod Week October 17-25 | | |
Saturday, October 17th is The Beginning of Black Cod Week!
Last chance! Sign-up here to have your participating restaurant or food business be promoted by featuring a Black Cod dish on your menu, whether it’s tacos, seared miso black cod, or something uniquely yours.
Explore this link to find out how you as partners can participate, where the at-home chef can purchase from local markets, and much more from our industry champions and dish-inspiring chefs!
Don't forget to share your experiences using #BlackCodWeek!
SCT, in partnership with The Economic Development Collaborative will provide participating partners with a digital toolkit, posters, social media copy as well as being featured on sonomacounty.com, blackcodweek.com and our Sonoma County Tourism App!
Black Cod Weeks supports Sonoma County’s fishing community while showcasing the versatility and flavor of this local, abundant catch.
Questions? Reach out to CommunityEngagement@sonomacounty.com
| | Highlight Your Business with Your Holiday Hours & Events | | |
Share your seasonal deals and special offers—from budget-friendly steals to luxury splurges and off-peak specials.
Increase your business's visibility by ensuring holiday travelers and locals alike know you're open by tagging your listing in SCT's Hospitality Hub. Tag your business as “Open on Thanksgiving” or “Open on Christmas” as well as any other relevant tags to appear on our popular holiday pages.
How to Tag Your Business
- Log into the Hospitality Hub
- Select Profile on the left sidebar
- Select Accounts
- Use the dropdown arrow to select Manage Amenities
- Find the “Holiday Openings” section
- Select the relevant tags, such as “Open on Thanksgiving” or “Open on Christmas Eve/Day”
- Save to appear on our holiday pages!
Need help? Email hospitalityhub@sonomacounty.com for support. Or source this video for step by step instructions for the hub.
| | Upcoming Partner Education Sessions | | |
We have to postpone our October monthly Partner Education session, but mark your calendar for the next topics on hands-on tools, important trends and new opportunities in our tourism industry and our destination.
The full schedule will be updated on our Partner Industry Event Calendar. and in this newsletter.
Upcoming topics for November and beyond will include:
- Video & Imagery Mastery/Social Media Tools
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El Niño Preparation
- Partnership Opportunities with Visit California
- Sonoma County Re-Brand Launch (may require different location, TBD)
Date: Third Tuesday EVERY month
Time: 9:00-10:30am
Location: Sonoma County Tourism, 3558 Round Barn Blvd., Suite 112, Santa Rosa
Coffee, light bites, and meaningful conversation with fellow partners will be part of the morning.
Any questions reach out to CommunityEngagement@sonomacounty.com
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SMART is bringing passenger rail service back to Healdsburg for the first time in nearly 70 years, and the public is invited to help inform an important decision: Where should the Healdsburg SMART station be located?
Two locations are being considered: Depot/Hudson, adjacent to Healdsburg’s historic rail depot, and Vine/West Plaza/Downtown, near the Healdsburg Plaza. Although the locations are only about 0.45 miles apart, they differ in their proximity to homes, jobs and destinations; walking, bicycling and transit connections; parking; surrounding land uses; and opportunities for future development. The station will serve both the Healdsburg community and people traveling to and from Healdsburg throughout the SMART corridor.
SMART is conducting a public survey to gather input on the future location of the Healdsburg station. Residents, workers, businesses, visitors, and current and future SMART riders are encouraged to participate and share their travel needs, preferences and thoughts about the two locations. The survey is available in both English and Spanish:
Take the survey in English | Responda a la encuesta en español.
The public is also invited to attend a Community Meeting on Thursday, October 22, from 5:30–7:30 p.m. at Healdsburg High School, 1024 Prince Avenue in Healdsburg. Attendees will have an opportunity to learn more about the two station locations, ask questions and provide feedback.
RSVP for the community meeting | Confirme su asistencia en español.
The survey is open until November 30.
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Project Pasta! In honor of World Pasta Day on October 25th, the Redwood Empire Food Bank is hoping to collect 20,000 boxes before the month's end.
Here's how you can help: Donate money to Project Pasta, canvas your neighborhood for pasta donations, host a collection bin, or drop of pasta at the donation station located in the back of the Redwood Empire Food Bank building.
Why pasta? It makes a fantastic donation item due to its high nutritional value, long shelf life, and it’s a pantry staple for many families.
For more information, including where to drop your pasta, visit: https://refb.org/ways-to-give/projectpasta.html
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