September 28, 2026 (Napa Valley, CA) — Visit Napa Valley, the official destination marketing and management organization for Napa County, hosted its annual Destination Symposium on September 24, 2026, convening leaders from across the tourism, hospitality, and wine industries to review the state of the visitor economy, share new research and data, and preview strategic initiatives for the year ahead. The event featured presentations from Visit Napa Valley leadership, industry experts, and partners, underscoring tourism’s continued role as a vital driver of Napa Valley’s economy and community well-being.
“More than 15,000 jobs across Napa County were supported by tourism in 2025, as the visitor economy generated $2.8 billion in economic impact throughout the valley,” said Linsey Gallagher, President & CEO of Visit Napa Valley. “Our focus now is turning what we know about our visitors into smarter decisions about where and how we invest – driving overnight stays, growing Tourism Occupancy Tax (TOT) collections and creating greater value for our partners and community.”
Key updates from the Visit Napa Valley Destination Symposium included:
Economic Impact and Lodging Performance
Napa Valley welcomed 3.8 million visitors in 2025, generating $2.8 billion in total economic impact, $162.5 million in local tax revenue, and supported more than 15,000 jobs – one in every seven jobs in Napa County, according to Tourism Economics. Lodging room revenue in 2025 was $530 million.
From January through August 2026, lodging demand was up 1.4% including an increase in room supply of 1.6%. Hotel occupancy was flat at 64.5% (-0.2% YOY), average daily rate (ADR) at $425.69 (+2.8% YOY), and revenue per available room (RevPAR) at $274.71 (+2.6% YOY).
Fiscal Year 2025-2026 Performance
Visit Napa Valley’s marketing delivered strong results in FY26, including measurable impact from the launch of the new “Live a Little or a Lot” campaign, created in partnership with advertising agency The Shipyard. Ad effectiveness research found the campaign influenced nearly 450,000 trips.
Across channels, campaigns generated 107 million paid advertising impressions (+32% YOY), 1.3 billion earned media impressions (+28% YOY), and 55 million social impressions (+71% YOY). Group sales generated $89 million in economic impact (+14% YOY), while the Napa Valley Welcome Center delivered 128,000 partner referrals throughout Napa Valley and it’s five towns (+40% YOY) and the partner network grew to 580 total partners served (+6% YOY).
New 2025 Visitor Research
For the first time, Napa Valley’s 2025 Visitor Profile Study conducted by SMARInsights, included both recent and prospective visitors, providing a broader view of who is visiting today and where future demand may come from. The research found that 35% of first-time visitors are ages 25–35, while 99% of overnight visitors report being satisfied or very satisfied with their Napa Valley experience. It also showed that travelers are coming for a range of occasions, including romantic getaways (35%), adult-family vacations (32%) and celebrations (27%), insights that are helping shape Visit Napa Valley’s audience and content strategy for FY27.
“We know a lot about the people already coming to Napa Valley. What’s exciting about this research is that it helps us better understand the prospective traveler – who is considering Napa Valley, what will motivate them to choose it and where we have the greatest opportunity to grow,” said Amanda Moul, SVP, Client Engagement at The Shipyard, Visit Napa Valley’s agency of record for paid media and positioning strategy. “That’s what will inform where we invest and how we approach the work in FY27.”
Fiscal Year 2026-2027 Marketing Strategy
In FY27, Visit Napa Valley will continue to evolve “Live a Little or a Lot,” built on the destination’s “A Taste of the Good Life” brand promise and designed to invite travelers to define their own version of the Napa Valley experience. Advertising, PR, content, social, and the website will work more closely together across the visitor journey, from initial inspiration and trip planning to experiences with businesses throughout Napa Valley.
Wine and culinary travelers remain a core audience, with expanded focus on LGBTQ+, wellness, multigenerational and next-generation travelers across drive, growth and national markets. The work will continue to broaden perceptions of Napa Valley through wine, culinary, wellness, arts and culture, and the distinct character of its five towns. The FY27 Annual Plan also introduces new creative efforts to support group business and hospitality workforce recruitment.
Visit California Keynote
Heather Huckeba, Director of Research and Strategic Insights at Visit California, delivered the keynote address on using visitor research to inform destination content and storytelling. Her presentation explored how traveler data can help destinations better understand what motivates consideration and travel, and determine which stories are most relevant to prospective visitors. Visit Napa Valley works alongside Visit California’s statewide tourism marketing efforts while using Napa Valley-specific research to guide its own market, audience and messaging decisions.
The Symposium concluded with a networking reception celebrating the resilience and collaboration of Napa Valley’s tourism and hospitality partners.
For more information about Visit Napa Valley’s programs, research, and strategic initiatives, visit www.visitnapavalley.com/
ABOUT VISIT NAPA VALLEY
Visit Napa Valley is the official destination marketing and management organization for Napa County. The organization promotes the region as an attractive travel destination and works to continually enhance its public image as a dynamic place to visit, live, and work. The vision and mission of Visit Napa Valley are to elevate Napa Valley as the world’s premier wine country experience and to promote, protect, and enhance the Napa Valley destination. Primary funding for our activities and programs comes from a Tourism Improvement District (TID) special assessment on lodging guests.
Napa Valley, conveniently located within an hour’s drive from the San Francisco Bay Area and the Greater Sacramento Area, comprises five distinct towns, including, from north to south, Calistoga, St. Helena, Yountville, the City of Napa, and American Canyon. In addition to these five towns, the areas of Rutherford, Oakville, and Angwin, along with the outdoor recreation area of Lake Berryessa, are also part of Napa County and add to its diverse and rich history.
The fully staffed Napa Valley Welcome Center in the City of Napa is a high-tech facility, complemented by personalized and complimentary concierge service from highly qualified brand ambassadors offering recommendations throughout Napa Valley.
For additional information about Napa Valley, or to plan your Napa Valley experience, please explore VisitNapaValley.com and follow social feeds @VisitNapaValley.
