New Tourism Data Shows Traveling Trends for Santa Ynez Valley Visitors
John Palminteri
BUELLTON, Calif. – Some valuable insights on traveling in the Santa Ynez Valley has been presented to tourism and hospitality leaders.
Visit Santa Ynez Valley CEO, Shelby Sim, is using new data to learn the habits of those who are coming and going in the area. It is also showing how long they are staying and an estimate of how much money they are spending.
This information is vital to plans for marketing and also event planning going forward.
A presentation was made by Datafy (Datafy.com). It took place at the Visit Santa Ynez Valley annual General Meeting held at the Buellton Marriott hotel.
The information was gathered for communities in the valley such as Los Olivos, Los Alamos, Solvang, Santa Ynez, Ballard and Buellton.
Data was gathered in part through geolocation services from cell phones and available spending information from businesses in the area.
Datafy Vice President Niki Jalali said the area is very unique. “It’s a ‘build your own adventure’ type of place. You can drink wine if you are not a wine drinker. You can go horseback riding. If you have a family there’s family friendly things to do.”
In 2024, the hotel occupancy was at an average of 68 percent, with the busiest months being June, July and August. December, when the valley has a burst of holiday activities and decorations, was a strong month as well.
80 percent were one-day visitors, 20 percent were overnight visitors.
Most of the visitors (85.5 percent) were coming from California. Los Angeles leads the way, followed by Santa Barbara, San Francisco and San Diego. Los Angeles visitors spend an average of $233 throughout their trip.
The goal is to convert the one-day visitor to an overnight visitor. Jalali said, “when someone stays overnight they spend more money. That brings a greater benefit to everybody.”
The average visitor is 45-65 years old, with average income of $100,000 or more.
One specific area is the biggest draw.
“Solvang is still the powerhouse. It is the main driver in the Santa Ynez Valley and then food and we know that again from digital as well,” said Sim.
The data shows visitors go to downtown areas, to arts and entertainment, their hotels and restaurants.
This can be used to plan other outreach efforts. Jalali said, “Taking a look at the data and seeing what happened last year, how to make shifts and what are those right markets to go after. Who are the right people that will spend more money?”
The California traveler is still a strong target for marketing along with residents living in some key out of state sites such as Portland, Seattle and Dallas.
Jalali said, “San Francisco and San Diego we have an opportunity for growth and overnight visitation . Phoenix it has a high spend when they come to a destination and we want to see that person who is going to spend money. It is virtually untapped.”
With international traveling slowing down the effort “is to refocus back to Los Angeles, Central California and San Francisco.” Sim said in addition to the money Visit Santa Ynez Valley is spending, the area businesses should consider their own targeted outreach “and to go back to their own marketing dollars closer to home because those are the folks that are coming out.”
Not to be overlooked, Jalali said is the Gen Z independent traveler and the solo traveler. They are looking for different experiences that are a good fit for their lifestyle and individuality.
Later in the year there will be the annual Taste or the Santa Ynez Valley restaurant event. Last year about 1200 tickets were sold.
The 2025 event will involve a special dinner at the historic Union Hotel in Los Alamos and a long table, outside setting on Copenhagen Drive in Solvang with several chefs preparing the meal.
One of the longest running links between the wine loving public and the valley is the movie “Sideways.” It was a wine country comedy adventure that celebrated its 20th year in 2024 with special events. It still brings in new visitors, including some who are tracing the same steps and stops as the stars did in the movie. That economic boost is called, the “Sideways” effect.
For more information go to: Visit Santa Ynez Valley and Datafy.com
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