Event Walton County Tourism Celebrates National Travel and Tourism Week May 3-9

[Jen]

Celebrate National Travel and Tourism Week​

Walton County Tourism is celebrating National Travel and Tourism Week from May 3-9 with giveaways and sweet treats at the Visitor Center at 25777 US Highway 331 S. WCT is the sponsor for the Walton Area Chamber of Commerce May Power of Business Luncheon from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Wednesday, May 6, in the Linkside Conference Center at the Sandestin Golf & Beach Resort.

The featured speaker will be Scott Beck from Jones Lang LaSalle, the consulting firm developing the 2026-2030 WCT Strategic Plan. Attendees can register by calling the Walton Area Chamber at (850) 267-0683 or registering online here.

 

[Jen]

Walton County Tourism is celebrating National Travel and Tourism Week, May 3-9, shining a spotlight on the vital role tourism plays in supporting the county’s economy, workforce and quality of life.


National Travel and Tourism Week recognizes the U.S. travel industry’s essential contributions to economic growth, job creation and community development. In Walton County, tourism continues to be a driving force behind local prosperity.


Walton County Tourism promotes our community as a premier vacation destination while increasing awareness of the area’s many amenities, helping cultivate vibrant communities and create job opportunities that stimulate growth in the local economy. Working alongside industry stakeholders, the department also enhances tourism-related experiences for both visitors and residents.


In 2025, Walton County Tourism’s efforts generated a $4.7 billion economic impact, helped support more than 29,400 jobs and contributed to $1.2 billion in supported wages across Walton County, while easing local residents’ tax burden with an average savings of $1,772 per household.


“Tourism continues to turn the economic engine in our community,” said Tourism Director Matt Algarin. “Walton County has big-city amenities with small-town charm. We use visitor dollars to benefit all, while also improving the quality of life for residents.”


Year-round visitation keeps Walton County’s tourism economy thriving, directly impacting the vitality of local communities. From hospitality and food service to resort operations, development and finance, tourism supports a wide range of career opportunities for residents who want to build a life and career close to home.


“Tourism is the backbone of Walton County’s economy, and its impact is felt in every corner of our community,” said District 3 Commissioner Brad Drake, Chairman of the Walton County Tourist Development Council. “It supports thousands of local jobs, strengthens small businesses, and helps fund the services and infrastructure that improve quality of life for our residents. We are proud to celebrate National Travel and Tourism Week and the vital role this industry plays in keeping Walton County strong and thriving.”


Walton County’s flourishing culinary scene is one example of tourism’s broad impact. With more than 200 restaurants spanning South Walton to DeFuniak Springs, the county offers world-class dining and a vibrant food culture that continues to attract talented chefs and entrepreneurs from across the country.


“The tourism and the growth of the people that have moved here has really allowed the culinary world to expand,” said Chef Todd Misener of Iron & Grape.


The public is invited to stop by the Visitor Information Center, located at the corner of US Highways 98 and 331 South, for giveaways and sweet treats during travel and tourism week.


As part of the week’s celebration, Walton County Tourism is sponsoring the Walton Area Chamber of Commerce’s May Power of Business Luncheon on May 6 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Sandestin Golf & Beach Resort. Featured speaker Scott Beck of Jones Lang LaSalle, the consulting firm developing the 2026–2030 Walton County Tourism Strategic Plan, will discuss the draft plan and key priority areas identified in that plan.


Attendees may register by calling the Walton Area Chamber of Commerce at (850) 267-0683 or registering online.


Learn more about Walton County Tourism by visiting wcfltourism.com.

 

[Jen]

With May almost upon us, our team has some big projects in the works and we are incredibly excited to see them come to fruition. We hope you’ll join us as we pave the path forward for tourism in Walton County. We kick off National Travel and Tourism Week, May 3-9, by gathering and reflecting on the importance of tourism and the value travel holds for our economy, businesses and personal enjoyment. To honor Tourism Week, the Board of County Commissioners adopted a resolution recognizing May 3-9, 2026, as National Travel and Tourism Week in Walton County. Tourism is the No. 1 economic driver in Walton County. The dedicated efforts of the Walton County Tourism, industry stakeholders, the Tourist Development Council and Board of County Commissioners improve our economy while enhancing tourism-related experiences for our visitors and residents. In 2025, these efforts led to an economic impact of $4.7 billion and helped support more than 29,000 jobs in our community, generating $1.2 billion in wages supported. Tourism works for Walton County. And as we look to keep the momentum going with the development of our 2026-2030 tourism strategic plan, our consultants from Jones Lang Lasalle will be in town May 5 for a joint TDC/BCC workshop to present their final draft for input and direction. We anticipate some great dialogue and hope the community can come out to hear what’s being discussed. The workshop will be held at the South Walton Courthouse Annex, 31 Coastal Centre Boulevard, at 1 p.m. in Santa Rosa Beach. It will also be live-streamed on the county’s YouTube channel for those who cannot attend in person. The agenda is posted on the county’s website. Our team will also have our first FY26/27 budget workshop with the TDC on May 5. We’ll meet at the South Walton Courthouse Annex at 10:30 a.m. to review our draft budget and gather feedback from our stakeholders and community. The agenda is posted HERE for review prior to the May 5 meeting. An additional TDC budget workshop is scheduled for June 16. You can find all of our meeting dates HERE. On May 6, Walton County Tourism will sponsor the Walton Area Chamber of Commerce’s Power of Business lunch as part of our tourism week celebration. Scott Beck, with our consulting firm JLL, will highlight the key priority areas that have been identified as part of our ongoing strategic planning process. Event specifics, including how to RSVP, can be found HERE. As we dig into budgeting, it’s a great time to look at a few of the projects that highlight how tourism puts the bed tax to work in the community. Our beach operations team continues their work to enhance and improve our destination; we’re incredibly proud to share the opening of our newest beach access in Seagrove, located at 3910 E County Hwy 30A (across the street from Cafe Thirty-A). The access has 23 parking spaces, bike parking, a 1,011 square-foot restroom facility, a handicap-accessible dune walkover and rinse showers, in addition to an expansive exfiltration system to capture stormwater runoff from surrounding neighborhoods. This project was truly a labor of love and will serve as a tremendous amenity and asset for our residents and visitors. You can read more about this project HERE. Another highly anticipated project is the Grayton Beach Community Center. Located in the heart of Grayton, this uniquely designed 1,600 square-foot beachfront facility will house a local information station that features historical footage and information from the creation of the Grayton Beach Community through present. It will also feature restrooms, a 360-degree observation deck, rinse showers, a boardwalk to the beach that connects to the Garfield Street boardwalk, and access to the Beach Tram. Construction is expected to be complete by this summer. You can see more projects our beach operations team has in the pipeline by clicking HERE. These men and women work tirelessly day in and day out to make Walton County shine. Want to learn more about Walton County Tourism, Beach Operations or our programs and initiatives? Send me an email at Matt@WCFLTourism.com or call the office at (850) 267-1216. Kindest regards,

Matt Algarin, CDME, TMP Tourism Director Walton County Tourism Department (850) 267-1216 | Matt@WCFLTourism.com​