Your Monthly South Walton Tourism Update

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Monthly TDT Information

Tourist Development Tax collection showed a 176.5% increase in South Walton for March 2021 compared with the previous year. Total collections for March 2021 were $4,680,055. To compare to pre-COVID collections, collection totals at 2% TDT were compared to eliminate the issue of tax rate changes which showed that March 2021's TDT collection was a 55.6% increase compared to March 2019. 

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. 

TDC Executive Director Terminated

At the Tuesday, May 11 Walton County Board of County Commissioner’s meeting, commissioners voted 3-2 to terminate, without cause, the contract of Jay Tusa, the Walton County TDC Executive Director. County Administration will offer leadership in the interim before a new executive director is hired, and staff is directed to continue handling day-to-day operations.  

 

Beach Safety Funding

In addition to the more than $3 million the Walton County Tourist Development Council already spends on beach safety, the Walton County Board of County Commissioners approved the expenditure of an additional $139,000 for local media marketing during its April 27 meeting.

The increased funding more than doubles the amount of money that's spent on promoting beach safety locally, bringing the total from $101,000 to $240,000 for the remainder of 2021. 

COMMUNICATIONS


  • South Walton in the News
  • Press Release Round-Up
  • Tourism Workshops
  • Free Hospitality Job Listings
  • Beach Safety Meeting
  • Media Hot Leads Program
  • What's New in South Walton
  • Update Your Business Listing
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BEACH OPERATIONS


  • Beach Access Updates
  • Capital Improvements
  • Customary Use 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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MARKETING


  • 2021-22 Co-Op Advertising Program
  • April Website Stats
  • Social in South Walton
  • Book>Direct Accommodations Search Engine
  • Beach Safety Collateral
  • New Print Publications
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SALES & VISITOR CENTER

 

  • Recent and Upcoming Shows
  • Visitor Center Updates
  • Merchandise Spotlight: Cool Dri Performance Shirts

 

 

 

 

 

 

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COVID-19 Response

The safety of Walton County remains at the forefront of our minds. We've created a COVID-19 Travel Updates page on our website to share the latest information about safely traveling to Walton County. This page is updated regularly as new information becomes available. 

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