Destination Stewardship

Destination stewardship is a process by which local communities, governmental agencies, non-government organizations, and the tourism industry take a multi-stakeholder approach to maintain the cultural, environmental, economic, and aesthetic integrity of Santa Rosa and Sonoma County. This is vitally important because a healthy and happy community is needed to support a healthy and happy tourism industry long-term

The evolution of the tourism industry has seen a shift in the destination management approach of DMOs from merely destination marketing to destination management with the development of new tourism products and revenue generation. The next step for VSR is destination stewardship with more comprehensive management approaches, not only in destination development, but also community collaboration and sustainable development for our destination and the entire Santa Rosa tourism sector.

Visit Santa Rosa’s destination stewardship approach is intended to help tourism stakeholders – including community members – create their shared future in a collaborative and mutually beneficial way. Translating the concept of destination stewardship to action requires a structure that supports bringing all the stakeholders around the table. It also requires giving them a real voice in tourism planning, policy, and management.

For Visit Santa Rosa, destination stewardship is more than just about being “green,” “sustainable,” or protecting the environment. It is a comprehensive, holistic approach to how tourism can benefit the long-term well-being of our community and environment.

Many Santa Rosa and Sonoma County hotels, lodging, restaurants, wineries, breweries, and attractions have made sustainable and green friendly practices embracing stewardship from our supporting industry. Visit Santa Rosa practices responsible marketing including determining the right level of marketing, the seasonality of marketing and marketing attractions, and activities that reduce over tourism, overcrowding, and compromise our resources.

While there is no one-size-fits-all model for any destination, with intention and initiative there are several steps Visit Santa Rosa has taken to shift to a stewardship attitude and approach. They include:

• With the Santa Rosa Metro Chamber, we engage with residents, expand their knowledge of tourism, and manage the visitor/resident balance.
• With Santa Rosa Metro Chamber, we have taken steps to proactively improve visitors’ experience in relation to the homelessness issue, while being sensitive to the crisis at hand.
• With Santa Rosa Metro Chamber, we work on improving large-scale, logistically complex events spanning multiple venues across the city.
• With the Santa Rosa Metro Chamber, we work on a path for the sustainable growth of tourism in the city, including environmental sustainability, impacts on existing resources and infrastructure, and mitigating or preventing negative implications for local stakeholders or the quality of life of residents.

Together we can preserve what makes Santa Rosa special.

We encourage visitors to actively participate in destination stewardship by:

Pledging your support to ‘Traveling Kindly’ across Sonoma County and choosing to make a positive impact to the health and well-being of our thriving local communities, abundant experiences, and breath-taking natural landscapes. Sign the Sonoma County pledge, Sign Here

Follow the seven principles from Leave No Trace Click Here.

Buy local goods from local retailers and local produce at our Farmer's Markets.

When hiking, stick to marked trails - it's safer for you and preserves your beautiful surroundings.

Pack it in, pack it out. Don't leave trash behind at parks, wineries, etc.

Always have reusable bags in your car for all of the purchases you're sure to make!

Electric vehicles – Santa Rosa and Sonoma County have many charging stations. Check out our charging station page. You can also rent electric bicycles in Santa Rosa.