Walton County tourism partners,

Our current situation changes day to day, and much hinges on what Governor DeSantis does or doesn’t do in the coming days. But with that being said, as beaches and businesses reopen, we want to make sure our local partners all have access to similar messaging related to ongoing changes in South Walton. We have been keeping an updated page on our website directly related to COVID-19, and we will continue to update info about business modifications, applicable government guidelines and ordinances, and best practices at https://www.visitsouthwalton.com/covid-19-travel-updates. First time visitors to our website (www.visitsouthwalton.com) will see a pop up message pointing them to that information at as well.

It’s important that visitors understand that Walton County, like the rest of the country, is operating under a “new normal” in the recovery of this pandemic, and that everyone traveling to the destination should come ready to do their part in the recovery effort. This may include taking precautions related to social distancing, understanding that government guidelines continue to affect the way local businesses operate, and in many cases our visitors should expect to use a little more patience as we all work together to recover.

Many businesses will spend more time cleaning, or have limited hours, and that is for guest safety as well as the safety of staff. Visitors should plan to take similar precautions, not only to safeguard themselves or their families, but also to protect locals and fellow visitors – this can mean anything from wearing masks in public places like grocery stores, to bringing hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes from home to use while visiting.

Walton County has a relatively low population of residents, and in some ways that is reflected by the infrastructure. Guests may want to plan on bringing more supplies from home than normal (visiting the grocery store before driving to Walton County) and due to limited hospital infrastructure, anyone who begins feeling sick while visiting should return home immediately to self-isolate or receive treatment. Guests who do so should also notify their accommodation provider so that precautions can be made for deep cleaning while safeguarding the health of staff and future visitors.

For up to date information on local businesses (including how temporary regulations affect their operation, which restaurants are offering food to go, accommodations updates, opportunities to help, and updates on events as affected by COVID-19) please visit https://www.visitsouthwalton.com/covid-19-travel-updates/

For best practices in health and travel as recommended by the CDC, please visit: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/faqs.html For a flyer to provide visitors and staff with information about how to stop the spread of germs: How to stop the spread of germs

We hope this information and the attached bullet points are helpful to you, your staff, and your visitors. We ask that you please share this as possible and help keep our community and economy safe. This is a difficult time for everyone in our community, but we are all in this together and we have many bright days ahead.

Best Regards,

Jay Tusa
Executive Director
Walton County TDC