North Bay Business Journal

Visitors to Sonoma County spent $1.47 billion in 2011, a more than 9 percent increase over 2010, according to the latest figures released by Visit California.

Melissa Bastianon and Cathy Miller are the newest members of Frank Howard Allen Realtors’ Sebastopol office. …

Michael Moffett, a Coldwell Banker Commercial Brokers of the Valley agent in Napa, earned a spot in the company’s Bronze Level Circle of Distinction. …

Jeanette Ditter, a sales associate in Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage’s Santa Rosa office, earned membership in the company’s International Diamond Society. …

Petaluma-based Cyan appointed Joe Cumello chief marketing officer. …

Sonoma County Tourism certified its 500th “tourism ambassador”: Randy Johnson, owner of Getaway Adventures. …

As North Bay lodging businesses look to the year ahead, most are expressing confidence for continued improvement, with occupancy rates and revenues showing steady gains across Sonoma, Napa and Marin counties.

ROHNERT PARK — Tourism in Sonoma County continues to rebound at an encouraging pace, with revenue and hotel occupancy rates besting those of the previous two years, experts said Wednesday at an annual meeting on local tourism.

SANTA ROSA — Higher numbers of inbound flyers and an uptick in private aviation at Charles M. Schulz–Sonoma County Airport, together with record airline passenger volume in 2012, point towards a deeper recovery for activity at the North Bay’s only commercial airport.

ROHNERT PARK — Nearly eight years in the making, Sonoma State University plans to open the doors of a three-story, 130,000-square-foot student center this August, creating a central hub for student activity and providing the largest conference and event space in Sonoma County.

SANTA ROSA — Sonoma County winegrape growers, vintners and tourism promoters are launching a coordinated multimedia campaign to promote one of the county’s top economic engines.

NORTH BAY — Tourism across the North Bay continued to rebound at a steady and promising pace in 2012, and the industry is poised to post further gains in the coming year with a series of high-profile events and increased marketing efforts, officials said.

Sonoma County was named the top wine destination in the U.S. by TripAdvisor’s Travelers’ Choice Awards, with users of the popular travel site giving the region’s local wineries, restaurants, attractions and accommodations high marks.

SANTA ROSA — A coalition of Sonoma County wine, grape and tourism organizations today unveiled a new coordinated marketing strategy, an effort that participants said is designed to raise the county’s profile among other winemaking destinations in the United States.

The Sonoma County Tourism Business Improvement District (TBID) achieved a return on its investment of $85 for every dollar spent for tourism promotion in 2010. This was higher than the statewide ROI average of $63 for each marketing dollar spent in other TBID’s responding to a statewide survey. Napa Valley’s Tourism Improvement District reported an ROI of $63.80 for every promotional dollar spent, also exceeding the state average.

Spending by visitors in Sonoma County increased 9 percent from 2009 to 2010, according the latest data released Wednesday by the California Travel and Tourism Commission.

Sonoma County hoteliers and other tourism-related businesses, particularly those in Santa Rosa, are gearing up for what has become one of the region’s main tourist attractions: The 2012 Amgen Tour of California, a major cycling race that for the first time will begin and end its first of eight stages in the city. … Santa Rosa has been patiently awaiting the arrival of a San Francisco sandwich maker, Ike’s Place, for about six months. It will only have to wait another few weeks, as the sandwich maker hopes to be fully operational by mid March, according to Chase Ottney, general manager of the flagship San Francisco location.

It is no secret that tourism is a major revenue generator state and countywide. Locally speaking, the general assumption tends to be that the tourists who visit — and the dollars they spend — come for one thing: the fruit of our vines. Certainly there are other appealing aspects of Sonoma County as a destination, but in terms of our identity as a region, this is Wine Country first and foremost. This is no accident. Our brand is the product of a great deal of vision, effort, and investment on the part of the wine industry, in conjunction with the Sonoma County Tourism Bureau (SCTB).

SANTA ROSA — The county’s $1.3 billion tourism industry turned in solid growth in 2011 despite a persistent recession, with year-over-year occupancy rates up 8 percent at lodging businesses and room revenue up 10 percent, the Sonoma County Tourism Bureau said this morning at its annual breakfast.

SANTA ROSA — Just days after Alaska Airlines announced changes to its flights into Santa Rosa, the Sonoma County Tourism Bureau and the airline today announced a joint promotion of visits and flights to the region in the first half of 2012 — known as the tourism off season.

SANTA ROSA — The expansion and safety upgrades of Sonoma County’s airport approved last week by the Board of Supervisors have the potential to vault the county’s $1.2 billion tourism industry even further by expanding into new markets, while producing nearly 900 jobs during construction, according to proponents and much of the business community.

The Sonoma County Tourism Bureau is increasingly benefitting from two sources — trade shows and weddings. … Several winery tasting rooms are opening in Sonoma and Napa counties in coming months. … The Napa Tourism Improvement District and the Napa Downtown Association have launched a new website as part of an effort to promote the downtown region.

Tourism and hospitality industry representatives gathered in early May to discuss recent travel trends and how they affect Sonoma County, with a heightened focus on social media, evolving county demographics and “agritourism.”

SONOMA COUNTY – A steady increase in occupancy rates and revenue should have Sonoma County tourism returning to pre-2008 levels by the start of the second quarter, seemingly putting an end to a prolonged downturn, according to the Sonoma County Tourism Bureau.