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Agricultural TourismUnique Niches - Agritourism in Britain and New EnglandSection 2: Background continued
Tourism in the North Bay In 1997, more than $454 million was spent by tourists on accommodations in Marin. Tourist dollars spent in Marin increased by $ 1 00 million between 1991 and 1994 and a similar trend occurred in Sonoma County. Over 4.5 million visitors are reported annually at the Point Reyes National Seashore (2.5 million) and state parks (2 million) in Marin. The Olema Campground reported I million visitor days in 1996 and it has been calculated that over 41% of the 16 million annual visitors to San Francisco travel over the Golden Gate Bridge into and through Marin County (B. Blum, personal communication, 8/ 21/97). It is estimated that during winter whale watching season over 6,000 travelers visit the Point Reyes Lighthouse. Marin's transient occupancy tax (TOT) revenues reflect growth in the West Marin area. Unincorporated TOT receipts increased from $679,827 in 1991 to $1,168,968 in 1997, nearly doubling in six years. With a flat tax rate, some increases could be attributed to increased accommodation rates and number of accommodations, both which reflect a growth market. Half the tourism income comes from overnighting so marketing focus should be on keeping visitors here for longer periods. In 1994, more than 4.1 million people visited Sonoma County and spent $819 million; 83% for pleasure and recreation. They spent an average of $150 daily and 45% traveled with children. The Sonoma County Convention and Visitors Bureau (SCCVB) and its sister organizations in Sonoma Valley and the Russian River area are focusing their primary TOT advertising efforts on California travelers and secondly, on Bay Area travelers, their two largest visitor clusters (Lauer, 1997). SCCVB's Destination Sonoma County committee is working to increase Monday through Thursday lodging requests. In July, 1997 an informal survey of overnight accommodations was conducted by the SCCVB committee. Sixty-eight properties representing a total of 2,680 rooms were surveyed. Thirty percent of their customers were from the Bay Area, 25% were from California, and approximately 29% were a mix of Bay Area and out of state staying an average of two days. Almost half of the visitors polled were here for pleasure and 30% were here for business. Approximately 40% of SCCVB's customers heard about them through guidebooks, 14% via the Internet and 10% via public relations booklets. The results mirror the state tourism statistics. According to former Sonoma County Farm Trails Executive Director Betsy Fischer (personal communication, 8/22/97) both the majority of requests for the Farm Trails Map and the number of visitors to the "Weekend along the Farm Trails" event in October are from the East Bay and San Francisco Bay Area. Sonoma County zoning ordinances for agricultural districts are currently being revised to address food service, retail sales, and special events. The agricultural industry is diversifying as vintners and farmers search for new ways to promote their products and boost their incomes from tourism (Appel, 1997). The Sonoma County Economic Vitality Partnership selected tourism and agriculture as two of the most important economic development sectors in the county and is working to coordinate these two efforts in a more unified manner with the development of an agricultural marketer's clearinghouse.
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