Research & Insights: Tourism in Sonoma County

Research helps Sonoma County’s tourism and hospitality sector make decisions using a data-driven foundation to enhance the sectors marketing efforts, track trends and performance at local, regional, and national levels.

Download the 2024 Sonoma County Quick Facts

$2.4 Billion
Total Visitor Spending

22,502
Sonoma County Leisure & Hospitality Jobs

$218 Million
State & Local Tax Revenue
Generated by Visitor Spending

Additional Research

Visitor Statistics (2024)

10.3 million visitors came to Sonoma County in 2024 .
Of these, 55% (5.6 million) are day visitors and 45% (4.6 million) are overnight visitors (Source: Longwoods International).
In 2024, Sonoma County’s travel industry increased 3.5% to $2.4 billion. The annual growth since 2018 is 1.8% (Source: Dean Runyan Associates 2024).
Employment in the sector expanded by 2.4%, adding 526 new jobs, bringing industry job levels back to pre-pandemic numbers from 2019. Travel-generated earnings climbed 4.2% to $1.1 billion, while tax revenue from tourism reached $218.4 million, marking a 3.0% increase over 2023. (Source: Dean Runyan Associates 2024).

Travel Impacts for Sonoma County (2024):

State and local government revenue generated by the local Sonoma County tourism industry ($218.4 million in 2024) is used to help support regional parks, economic development, arts and culture, education, roads, public safety, education, affordable housing and workforce development among other community programs. (source: Visit California / Dean Runyan and Associates).

View data for Sonoma County: "California Travel Impacts by County - Sonoma"

View summary data for Sonoma County 2019-2024

Travel Impacts for the State of California (2024):

Information from Visit California / Dean Runyan and Associates.
View full report: "California Travel Impacts " for 2024.

In 2024, tax receipts generated by travel spending increased to $218.4 million, an increase of 3.0% compared to 2023.
The travel industry supported approximately 22,502 jobs in 2024, a 2.4% increase from the prior year. Compared to 2019, travel industry employment has increased by 0.66%.
Travel-generated state and local tax revenue increased to $218 million in 2024, an increase of 3% from the prior year. Compared to 2019, travel-generated tax revenue has increased by 6.34%.
Visitor air travel increased by 10% in 2024 compared to the previous year, from 20 million to 22 million.
Visitors who stayed in a hotel, motel, or short-term vacation rental (STVR) spent 1.3 billion in 2024, a 4.8% increase compared to 2023.

TOT Assessment by City in Sonoma County