The monitoring area of the Sonoma County Sustainable Tourism Observatory is strategically located 45 minutes North of the Golden Gate Bridge and the metropolitan areas of San Francisco and Silicon Valley. Thanks to the region's premier position as a wine destination, its proximity to major innovation hubs and its abundant variety of culinary and scenic attractions, the area attracts millions of visitors every year. The observatory is the first of its kind under the umbrella of the Coalition to Observe and Advance Sustainable Tourism (COAST), which aims to serve as an anchor for a possible network of Pacific Coast observatories, connecting key tourism destinations along the Pacific Coast of North America from San Francisco and the Channel Islands , stretching from San Francisco and the Channel Islands in the south to Vancouver and Victoria BC in the north.

The observatory aims to share best practices which have been developed in the destination and learn from other member destinations of the INSTO network to advance its work, especially in the areas of water management, the impacts of agricultural-tourism growth, climate change responsiveness, the viable regeneration of essential public places, employment and local living opportunities, among others.