The mission of the Walton County TDC is to direct and manage activities that will strengthen the position of the
Beaches of South Walton County brand in the tourism marketplace, to manage and maintain our beaches as a primary attraction and as a responsible industry organization to take a leadership role in addressing issues that affect tourism and the quality of life in Walton County.
The Walton County Tourist Development Council is funded exclusively through
tourist occupancy tax or bed tax, which is collected from visitors on short term lodging rentals. The TDC currently collects 4.5 cents on every dollar. This revenue is used to market Beaches of South Walton as a premier tourist destination as well as:
1. Keep the area's 26-miles of beaches clean and pristine. The TDC beach crew cleans the beaches seven days a week/365 days a year, allowing the beaches to earn the national Blue Wave certification by the
Clean Beach Council year after year.
2. Maintain nearly 60 public beach accesses including eight regional beach accesses with parking and restrooms.
3. Fund lifeguards at eight regional beach accesses mid-March through September to keep beach goers safe.
4. Supply visitor services through two information centers--corner of US Hwy 331 and 98 and at Grand Boulevard at Sandestin--which provide maps, brochures, event information, directions, suggestions and reservations.
5. Protect and nourish the area's beaches, which includes a large scale beach restoration project that was completed in 2007 in Western Walton County and work which is currently underway for a beach restoration project along Scenic Highway 30A.
6. Create new programs including Artist of the Year, Art in Public Places,
Nature Based Certified Outfitters and the environmental forum.
7. Develop new products for residents and visitors to enjoy such as the Bayou Arts Center of Walton County and Kellogg Nature Center.
The Tourist Development Council (TDC) hosts five committees where all meetings are open to the public. These meetings are held in the Conference Room located at the TDC Visitor Information Center on the corner of US Highways 331 and 98 in Santa Rosa Beach.
For more information, please contact Walton County Tourist Development Council at (850) 267-1216.
Beaches of South Walton - Your Northwest Forida Beach Vacation Guide.
