INSTO

The UN World Tourism Organization’s International Network (UNWTO) of Sustainable Tourism Observatories (INSTO) is a network of tourism observatories monitoring the economic, environmental and social impact of the tourism at destination level.
More information on INSTO

A “sustainable tourism observatory” is responsible for monitoring, and reporting on, the sustainability of tourism actions and policies in its destination area (in this case, Sonoma County), using methodologies outlined in the World Tourism Organization’s “Guidebook on Indicators of Sustainable Development for Tourism Destinations”.

It is the aim of the Observatory to advise and assist Sonoma County stakeholders in their efforts toward achieving sustainability in the tourism and hospitality industries.
​The Observatory works with state and local government, the university and academic institutions, agriculture and the wineries, citizen organizations and conservation organizations, and the residents in the communities that host tourism in our destination area.

Data Collection.

As an organization concerned with data collection and public response, the Observatory will draw information from a wide variety of sources, including reporting by:

  • Sonoma County governmental authorities (PRMD, tax collector, Economic Development Commission, Sonoma County Tourism, Airport Commission, and Information Services),

  • various State of California sources (California State Travel and Tourism Commission, Visit California, California Parks and Recreation, etc.), and

  • other available local industry and tourism sources (Sonoma County Vintners and Growers Association, local Chambers of Commerce and regional Visitors Bureaus, etc.).

Also in Sonoma...

  • Sonoma County Climate Resilience Team

  • the North Bay Climate Adaptation Initiative (NBCAI)

  • Sonoma County Regional Climate Protection Authority

  • The Center for Environmental Inquiry (CEI) at Sonoma State University (SSU)

  • ESRI (Environmental Systems Research Institute)

  • ​Sonoma Ecology Center (SEC)

  • Sustainable Sonoma ​

  • Sustainable North Bay