Deadlines and Opportunities
Valentine's Day Specials Needed by Jan. 11 
Valentine’s Day is on the horizon. If you have any romance packages you'd like to promote, please let us know as soon as possible. Please send your package information to Tina Luster, tluster@sonomacounty.com, by 5 p.m. Monday, Jan. 11.
Evening Hours Tasting Rooms Deadline Jan. 13
Wineries and tasting rooms: We're doing a round up of late evening tasting rooms, that will eventually be used in a press release, as well as other media pitches. If you stay open later than the traditional 4:30 or 5 p.m., please contact Tina Luster, tluster@sonomacounty.com, by 5 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 13.
Dial In for SCTB's iPhone App
SCTB will be launching an iPhone application in early 2010 and we need your information! Please visit this link www.sonomacounty.com/content/partner-data and tell us your Facebook, Twitter or FourSquare (foursquare.com/businesses) names.
Also, please upload a picture so visitors using the application can see your business. Even if you don’t have a Facebook, Twitter or FourSquare account, please fill out the form with your business name and photo. You will still be included in the application launch.
The drop-dead deadline to submit your information is 5 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 10, 2010. If you miss this deadline, you’re information will be in the queue to be posted in March, the next eligible date. For more information, please contact Keri Hanson, khanson@sonomacounty.com. If you've already responded, there is no need to do anything else.
Vote Now for 'World's Best'
Travel + Leisure’s 2010 “World’s Best” survey is now live and we have quite a few Sonoma County hotels listed. Please take a few minutes to vote for your favorites: Applewood Inn, Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa, Kenwood Inn & Spa, and Vintners Inn. As they say in Chicago, vote early; vote often. http://tlworldsbest.roiresearch.com/home.aspx.
Family Spring Break Info: Deadline Feb. 1, 2010
The managing editor for MomsLikeMe.com, a network of local sites for moms, owned by Gannett Co., Inc./USA Today, would like to feature some spring break suggestions in early 2010. Any region within the U.S. is fine; this will go on 16 of their sites that are all over the country, plus the national site. Please send your information, by Feb. 1, 2010, to Mary Ann Barton, mbarton1@gannett.com.
Here Comes the Bride ...
We'll be launching a weddings promotion in 2010 and need high-res photos of weddings in Sonoma County. Please e-mail them to Keri Hanson, khanson@sonomacounty.com.
Media Lead Catchers Needed
Who at your organization is the contact for media leads? While leads with long lead times appear in our Tourism Update, sometimes we get requests from media that is due before the next Update. If you are a public relations professional for several properties, please list all the properties you are the media contact for. Please send the media contact information to Tina Luster, tluster@sonomacounty.com. If you’ve already sent your information, there’s no need to resubmit.
Chefs Needed for Inside Sonoma
Inside-sonoma.com has gotten a facelift of sorts. As part of our latest refresh, we've added a "cook" category, inside-sonoma.com/cook, that features professional chefs who have restaurants, a catering business or are instructors. We are also sending out a recipe each month in our consumer e-newsletter that goes out to more than 20,000 people.
What we need from you: your bio, information about your restaurant, and one of your recipes that you think epitomizes your food philosophy. Also, please include a specific Sonoma County wine recommendation, for example a 2006 Matanzas Creek Merlot. A photo of either you or your dish is optional.
Please send your information to Beth Snow, bsnow@sonomacounty.com. If you’ve already sent your information, we'd love to get another recipe from you!
SCTB Offices are Moving
The clock is ticking down and staff are busy purging and packing for SCTB's big move on Jan. 23. After that, our new address will be 3637 Westwind Blvd. We'll still be in the airport area, just about a half-mile from our present location. Pictured from left, SCTB board member Nick Frey, Mo Tunheim, SCTB, Zack Parker, vice president construction, with Keegan & Coppin Builders, Jim Davidson and Suzen Dyslin, both of SCTB.
Check a Bag; Check Some Wine
If you have a guest or client who is coming to Sonoma County, please remind them that Horizon Air has direct flights from Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Portland and Seattle. Horizon allows one checked bag at no charge. And, your guest can check one 12-bottle case of wine to be checked on all flights departing Sonoma County. The wine must be packaged to courier standards for shipping.
Dine and Stay Specials Needed
Lodging partners: We're looking for lodging specials that feature a dining element for our winter/spring marketing campaign. The program will highlight lodging specials that offer a certificate toward dinner, lunch, breakfast or a deal at a local restaurant. We encourage you to be creative and reach out to local dining establishments. Only specials that offer some sort of dining incentive will be included in this campagin. The campaign runs February through April 30, targeting Sacramento and San Francisco Bay Area.
Please submit your specials here www.sonomacounty.com/content/stay-dine by 5 p.m. on Feb. 1.
Contact Keri Hanson, khanson@sonomacounty.com, with questions. We look forward to filling your empty rooms and our local restaurants this spring. If you responded to an earlier e-mail from SCTB, there's no need to resubmit your special.
Industry News and Research
California Travel and Tourism Research Released
Traffic at California airports increased .3 percent year over year in October, with domestic traffic up .6 percent compared to 2008 and international off 1.1 percent. Overseas point-of-entry arrivals, a measure of foreign resident customs processing at California airports, were down 4 percent in September, and were down 12.5 percent for the first nine months of 2009 combined.
The gross domestic product grew in the third quarter, but unemployment remains over 10 percent nationally and more than 12 percent in California. Travel volume should grow moderately in 2010 – about 2 percent – and travel spending should grow a bit more – about 4 percent. Still, we likely won’t reach 2007 levels of visitation and spending until 2011. Find out more in the California Travel and Tourism's monthly research bulletin, http://tourism.visitcalifornia.com/media/uploads/files/editor/Research/2009_DecemberBulletin.pdf.
Washington Update
A seven-point plan defining how travel and tourism can create jobs and economic growth is in the hands of the White House as Obama administration officials consider input from business leaders on growing the economy and putting Americans back to work. Read more about this and other travel news at http://www.ustravel.org/sites/default/files/page/2009/09/december_htm_86362.htm#Washington.
In The News
News outlets are reporting on issues of travel. Take note of these recent articles:
Some rediscover the benefits of business travel (New York Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/24/business/24trips.html?_r=3
It's not a junket, it's an investment (Business Week)
http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/09_48/c4157btw326379.htm
Can a new U.S. tourism board woo visitors? (Time.com)
http://www.time.com/time/travel/article/0,31542,1939344,00.html#ixzz0XDUflBwd
Two common sense ways to improve the economy (Huffington Post)
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-a-iger/two-common-sense-ways-to_b_382034.html
House transport panel head seeks $69 billion in new spending (Wall Street Journal) http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125978948194373437.html
Two Sonoma County Inns Make Gold List
Congratulations to the Gaige House in Glen Ellen, and the Kenwood Inn and Spa. Both made Conde Nast Traveler's 2010 Gold List. For more information, visit www.concierge.com/tools/travelawards/goldlist/2010. The Gaige House is featured at www.concierge.com/tools/travelawards/goldlist/2010/hotels/10904; and Kenwood Inn is at www.concierge.com/tools/travelawards/goldlist/2010/hotels/30322.
Wineries Make Top 100 List
Several Sonoma County wineries made the San Francisco Chronicle/SF Gate's Top 100 list. Congratulations!
Sparkling http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/wine/top100-2009/page?id=sparkling
NV Iron Horse Joy! Brut, Sonoma County Green Valley
Chardonnay http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/wine/top100-2009/page?id=chardonnay
2007 Benovia Chardonnay, Russian River Valley; 2007 Williams Selyem Chardonnay, Drake Estate Vineyard, Russian River Valley
Sauvignon Blanc http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/wine/top100-2009/page?id=sauvignon
2008 Benziger Sauvignon Blanc, Signaterra Shone Farm Vineyard, Russian River Valley
Other Whites and Roses http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/wine/top100-2009/page?id=rose
2007 Saxon Brown Semillon Casa, Santinamaria Vineyards, Sonoma Valley
Pinot Noir http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/wine/top100-2009/page?id=pinotnoir
2007 Chasseur Pinot Noir, Freestone Station, Russian River Valley; 2007 Littorai Pinot Noir, The Haven, Sonoma Coast; 2006 Dehlinger Estate Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley; and 2007 Merry Edwards Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast
Syrah http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/wine/top100-2009/page?id=syrah
2006 Peay Les Titans Estate Syrah, Sonoma Coast; and 2006 Ramey Wine Cellars Syrah
Rodgers Creek Vineyard, Sonoma Coast
Cabernet and Merlot http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/wine/top100-2009/page?id=cabernet
2007 Anthill Farms Cabernet Sauvignon, Timber Crest Farms, Dry Creek Valley; 2007 Louis M. Martini Cabernet Sauvignon, Sonoma County
Zinfandel & other reds http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/wine/top100-2009/page?id=otherreds
2007 Ridge Geyserville, Sonoma County
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