TOURISM: PEOPLE, PLANET, PROFIT President's Message: Ken Fischang

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1 1 of 8 7/18/2014 4:10 PM Having trouble viewing this ? Click here TOURISM: PEOPLE, PLANET, PROFIT President's Message: Ken Fischang People, planet, profit: The three together make up the triple play of sustainability for a business. Sustainability is within reach when these three are balanced. Invest in the people who care for your business and interact with your customers. Run your business in a way that respects the finite resources of our natural environment. Engage the stakeholders affected by your business to ensure greater profitability. Sonoma County Tourism has been active in promoting Sonoma County as an environmentally friendly destination, showcasing local organizations (like EcoRing, Regional Parks, and Stewards of the Coast and Redwoods) who are involved in eco-tourism, as well as having a blogger dedicated to sustainable and eco travel. Sonoma County is a leader in sustainability, from planning (early adoption of urban growth boundaries) to reducing emissions (Sonoma County Energy Independence Program) to supporting regional transit. But we also recognize that there is a lot of work to be done. And we're doing it. Sonoma County Winegrowers, our partners and office mates, made a bold statement earlier this year when they declared that Sonoma County will be the first sustainable wine growing region in the United States by Next week, Sonoma County Tourism is partnering with Sonoma County

2 2 of 8 7/18/2014 4:10 PM Economic Development Board's Green Business program and local chambers of commerce and visitor centers to provide forums where tourism businesses can learn about available sustainability programs, and find out how to implement solutions to save water, energy and money. (See top story below.) Tourism is a major employer (one out of 10 jobs) in Sonoma County, and has impacts both financial (more than $1.55 billion spent annually, $97 million in government revenue generated) as well as environmental. We are balancing the needs of businesses and governments with those of the environment and residents. We are Sonoma County. Sustainably. LEARN ABOUT SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES AT EXCHANGES, NEXT WEEK, JULY Businesses throughout Sonoma County are invited to attend a free information exchange during Sustainable Tourism Business Week, July 21-25, at various locations throughout the county. Each event will be open from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on a drop-in basis, no appointments necessary. Representatives from the Sonoma County Economic Development Board's Green Business Program, PG&E and other organizations will be available to talk to local businesses how to apply for a Sonoma Green Business certification. Businesses are also encouraged to sign up for free energy, water, and waste audits, as well as gain valuable information on how to lower utility bills, conserve water, and reduce waste. Exchanges will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the following locations. Find complete information here. Monday, July 21 - Sonoma Valley Sonoma Community Center, Room E Napa St. Sonoma Tuesday, July 22 - Petaluma Petaluma Visitors Program Visitors Center 210 Lakeville Street Petaluma Wednesday, July 23 - West County Applewood Inn, Restaurant & Spa Highway 116 Guerneville

3 3 of 8 7/18/2014 4:10 PM Thursday, July 24 - Geyserville Geyserville Inn & Geyserville Grille Geyserville Ave. Geyserville Friday, July 25 - Santa Rosa Santa Rosa Convention & Visitors Bureau / California Welcome Center 9 4th Street Santa Rosa For more information, contact Kevin Kumataka, Sonoma County Green Business coordinator, at or [email protected]. WEB TRAFFIC UP - IS YOUR BUSINESS GETTING EXPOSURE? SonomaCounty.com traffic, two years into a relaunch, continues with some amazing numbers: Comparing the first half of 2014 with first half 2013, there was a 98 percent increase in visitors (sessions) to the site. What does this mean? More visitors are making their travel plans, and they are finding your business. Or, not, if you haven't updated your complimentary listing! Please take some time to make sure your listing is updated and showcases what you have to offer. Show off your business listing. Take advantage of SonomaCounty.com's success: Add photos to your business listing to increase traffic to it. Adding beautiful shots of your business or views from your property makes your listing stand out. Don't forget a stand-out description that details all you have to offer the more than 7 million visitors who find their way to Sonoma County each year. Check the Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn listing as an example of how good photos enhance a listing.

4 4 of 8 7/18/2014 4:10 PM Learn how to control your listing. If you need a refresher on adding photos or updating your listing on SonomaCounty.com, here is an instructional video: vimeo.com/ You will find other training videos and PDFs here. Attend a training session. If you need a little more hands'-on training, partner training sessions are held 9:30-10:30 a.m. on the last Wednesday of every month at the Sonoma County Tourism board room, 3637 Westwind Blvd., Santa Rosa. The photo above shows partners learning on tablets, smartphones, and laptops. Please Kristin Clark if you want to attend, [email protected]. At the training, you will learn to log on to the extranet, add photos and/or video, add a description of your property, add a deal, update your meeting space information, and respond to leads. AD SALES IN 2015 VISITORS GUIDE NOW OPEN The Official 2015 Sonoma County Visitors Guide and Map is the premier marketing piece showcasing Sonoma County and is supported by Sonoma County Tourism's $5 million sales and marketing programs. Sales for space in the 2015 Visitors Guide are now open, and will remain open until the space is sold-out or the Sept. 30 reservation cut-off date, whichever is first. Because of demand for ads, we anticipate the book selling out. Tarry not. New this year, businesses can also choose to purchase display ads on the mailing envelopes in which the guides are delivered, ensuring your business is one of the first impressions potential travelers see when they get their free guide. To see advertising options please see the Official Visitors Guide sales kit here. To reserve your space, please contact Connie Bowen at [email protected] or call on the old telephone at SONOMA COUNTY IN THE NEWS

5 5 of 8 7/18/2014 4:10 PM SCT reaches out to hundreds of journalists each year - pitching story ideas, fact-checking, via press releases, and hosting visits. Those connections result in positive travel stories being published all around the globe. Here are a few of the most recent stories. Find more here SCT's Beth Snow was featured in an article in the San Francisco Chronicle (Circ: 212,000; UMV: 3,135,092). "Good reasons to visit funky, free-spirited Guerneville" was the result of journalist Jeanne Cooper reaching out to SCT for information. The article was also found on SFGate.com. As a result of a press release, La Jolla Mom (UMV: 5,000) included a destination feature on Sonoma County for families. The article was written by freelance writer Katie Dillon, who met with SCT's Birgitt Vaughan at a media luncheon in San Diego. SCT worked with Visit California and Canon to bring 15 top bloggers from Korea to experience Sonoma County. As a result, bloggers posted individual blogs about Safari West, Charles M. Schulz Museum, J Vineyards & Winery, Hilton Sonoma Wine Country Hotel, and a mix of Healdsburg restaurants - Barndiva, Zin Restaurant, Mateo's, Cafe Lucia, and Taverna Sophia. The blogs can also be found at blog.visitcalifornia.co.kr. As a result of a visit to Sonoma County with her family, Kristi Marcelle wrote an article about traveling through Wine Country with kids for FoxNews.com (UMV: 17,573,178). MARKETING TEAM INTRODUCES WINERIES TO ARCHITECTS Linda Schwartz, of Fort Ross Vineyard, pours wine for an attendee of the American Institute of Architects Annual Awards Gala at the SF Jazz Center. Sonoma County Tourism partnered with 12 wineries to present a taste of Sonoma County and encourage attendees to visit Sonoma County as well as try

6 6 of 8 7/18/2014 4:10 PM Sonoma County wines. AIR TRAVELERS TASTE SONOMA COUNTY, OPT-IN FOR MORE Sonoma County Tourism worked with Sonoma County Vintners to provide a prize package during July's "Sonoma County Month" at the 44 VinoVolo retail locations in airports and cities in the U.S. and Canada. A flight of Sonoma County wines on the menu enticed travelers to try some Sonoma County sips, and signs in the stores encouraged customers to enter to win a Sonoma County visit. The promotion runs through the end of the month, and SCT looks forward to encouraging VinoVolo's devoted customers to try a visit to Sonoma County, now that they've had a little taste. INTERNATIONAL TOUR OPERATORS LEARN ABOUT SONOMA COUNTY Tour operators and travel agents are important resources for travelers, especially in international markets. SCT hosts familiarization trips (fams) to introduce Sonoma County to these important travel influencers, as well as meets representatives personally during sales missions sponsored by Visit California and SF Travel, international travel shows, including International Pow Wow in the U.S. Here are recent results from SCT's international sales program, led by Deleyse Langdale. * Deleyse Langdale and Mark Crabb met with Destination America during a sales mission to Australia in February this year. As a result, Sonoma County has been added as a two-night stop on their new 12-day Northern California FIT Fly Drive.

7 7 of 8 7/18/2014 4:10 PM * Faszination Fernweh, German tour operator, has launched a new fly/drive program for the Northern California triangle covering San Francisco, Sonoma County, and Yosemite. The itinerary includes a four-night stay in Sonoma County. Check out the webpage and SCT's German video. This package was also featured in the operator's March e-newsletter. * SCT is taking part in a marketing campaign in New Zealand, in partnership with House of Travel (tour operator) to feature Sonoma County in their bi-monthly magazine "Inspire Magazine," in the only North America edition for the year. This will complement the two-page brochure spread that features Sonoma County hotels in their regular travel brochure. The magazine featured the Hyatt Vineyard Creek, Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn, Sonoma Valley Wine Trolley, and Getaway Adventures' "Sip, Cycle & Kayak" tour. Bookings will be made directly through House of Travel. GEYSERVILLE VISITOR CENTER NOW OPEN The chamber of commerce has opened a new visitors center in downtown Geyserville right next to Bosworth's store. It's open Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. Business members of the Geyserville Chamber are welcome to bring in brochures, coupons, or business cards that may entice visitors and locals alike to visit your business. The chamber is partnering with the Geyserville Museum and Historical Society to provide visitor information to tourists and provide a glimpse into Geyserville's colorful past. Come in and take a look. INFORM SCT OF NEW BUSINESSES If you know of a new tourism business - restaurant, lodging, winery, tour, or attraction - please send any tips on new businesses to [email protected]. Include the name of the business, type of business and a phone number or . SCT will contact the business in order to keep our website and visitors guide updated.

8 8 of 8 7/18/2014 4:10 PM BRIEFS Data show Horizon flights outperforming industry norms from North Bay Business Journal New federal data show each of Horizon Air's four commercial routes involving the Charles M. Schulz - Sonoma County Airport operated at a higher percentage of capacity than the carrier and industry as a whole in 2013, signaling for some that growing demand could encourage Horizon to expand services in the future. Read more. Summer vacation prices are driven higher by surging demand from Los Angeles Times Americans will spend an average of $1,246 per person on summer vacations - about $100 more than last year, according to an online survey of 1,500 adults by American Express.Read more. This was sent to [email protected] by [email protected] Update Profile/ Address Rapid removal with SafeUnsubscribe Privacy Policy. Sonoma County Tourism 3637 Westwind Blvd. Santa Rosa CA 95403