Napa Valley Tourism Bounces Back Despite COVID Spike
NAPA (KPIX) -- While the Delta variant is leading to a spike in coronavirus cases, Napa Valley hasn't seen it have much impact on tourism. Many restaurants and wineries are booked and are turning people away.
Wine is flowing in Napa Valley as tourists from far and near are visiting the region.
KPIX talked with one group that just arrived from Austin, Texas.
"It was a little scary. It was our first trip. We wore a mask, took a deep breath and ended up here," said Rachel Edmondson.
While an increase in COVID cases has some people concerned, wineries such as Ghost Block haven't seen a decrease in visitors at all.
"We've had to turn down some people since we are understaffed, like the whole valley," said Luis Toscano with Ghost Block Wines.
In fact, at Ghost Block Wines, visitation is comparable to harvest season. Reservations are required at least a couple weeks in advance.
"Everything was booked," Edmondson said.
"I booked everything and I can say it was busy," said Rachel Luckcuck from San Clemente.
In downtown Napa, Napa City Nights, an outdoor concert, drew hundreds of people to Memorial Park on a Friday night.
For many, this is the most normal things have felt since the pandemic began.
"I feel like everything has been so fun, people have been so welcoming and so social. I feel like I don't want to say it's back to normal but it's felt pretty much back to normal," said Sara Crawford from San Clemente.
While a few restaurants and bars are now requiring proof of vaccination or a negative test in the Bay Area, there were no restrictions at Napa City Nights or Ghost Block Wines.
