As South Walton continues to navigate the ongoing impacts of COVID-19, the safety of our residents and visitors is at the forefront of our minds. We've created a COVID-19 travel updates page on our website to share the latest information related to accommodations, restaurants, events, travel safety and how to support South Walton. This page is updated regularly as new information becomes available. 

Additionally, on Tuesday, May 12, the Walton County Board of County Commissioners voted to send a letter to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis asking that he recind the ban on short-term vacation rentals. 

Tourist Development Tax collection showed a 41.48 percent decrease in South Walton for March 2020 compared with the previous year. Travel impacts from COVID-19 began to be felt mid-March, significantly impacting these results. It is anticipated that the impacts will be further felt for April’s numbers, and continuing as long as COVID-19 continues to impact people’s ability to travel. 

The Tourist Development Tax, or bed tax, is a five percent tax collected on hotels, condos and other short term rentals. It is the best way to gauge visitation and demand trends in South Walton. The revenue supports tourism marketing and beach operations including cleaning and maintaining beaches, lifeguards, destination improvements and preservation initiatives. 

• COVID-19 Efforts
• South Walton in the News
• COVID-19 Partner Communications and Resources
• Van Ness Butler Jr. Hospitality Award

• COVID-19 Response
• Beach and Bay Access Renovations
• Capital Improvement Projects
• Managed Vendor Program

• COVID-19 Response
• COVID-19 Travel Updates Page Stats
• Virtual Beach Vibes
• March Website Stats

• Sales Team Updates
• Visitor Center Updates