New marketing plan dubs this area "The Beach"

[yippie]

For Walton County. You're right Yippie. We don't need to fix what is not broken. Okaloosa County has a problem. Walton County does not need to be dragged in. Their bed taxes are sagging and they are having problems with occupancy, probably because of poor beaches, etc. Our friends in Bay County are doing better especially after they had their big TDC blowup last year and booted a problem player. Updated bedtax information would be helpful, but I have this handy. In a 2003 quarterly publication of the Haas Center for Business Research and Economic Development at the University of West Florida "Northwest Florida Tourism" it showed how Walton County was leading other Northwest Florida counties, even with the bedtax only collected in South Walton. The bedtax comparison in the third quarter of 2002 was Escambia County collected $648,509; Santa Rosa County collected $222,413; Okaloosa County collected $1,348,783; Walton County collected $1,414,059; and Bay County collected $1,179,774. Last report I heard was another outstanding current year for Walton County.

I have to respectfully disagree with part of your post. I don't think all of Okaloosa County needs this program any more than any other county. Destin has it's own identity, some opinions are good, some are bad, however, if you could group the bed taxes in what is commonly identified by tourist as the Destin AREA and 30-A, the figures would be drastically different.

Sandestin, as you know, is HUGE on contributing to the bed tax situation. As you also know, it is located in Walton County, however, the tourist that are staying there will always tell you they are in Destin.

So if you could separate the taxes for using an "identity" associated with the area, you should group them as following -

Okaloosa Island - group as Ft. Walton (they do have an identity problem).

Area from the Destin Bridge thought Tops'l - group as Destin

From Tops'l to Philips Inlet, the So Wal Area.

AGAIN, this is only the way the tourist think. Plus, there are no big blue signs in Miramar Beach and part of Santa Rosa Beach....

Do you see what I am trying to point out?

Those figures are pretty old. Here are some more updated figures for Okaloosa County. I can't locate updated one's for Walton, however, I would like to see a more current comparison

http://www.florida-edc.org/Tourism.htm#Bed Tax

This year, Okaloosa County is having the best spring break on record.

 

[DuneLaker]

Thanks for the update. Great. I don't keep all those records around anymore. I hope everyone gets so busy and successful that they completely forget about and drop this nonsense of rebranding! A summary explanation of the Billion dollar business I think we have in our Walton County TDC would be helpful, too. Bet North Walton would want to buy back in to TDC now that it has 9 million dollar slush fund. Now, North Walton can only share in the spoils by a round about way, and it is very minimal.

 

[Indigo Jill]

So in a marketing campaign based on visual advertising one shouldn't base ones decision on aesthetics. I believe I know who isn't getting this.

Not by the people the campaign isn't targeting, no.

I think what SO many people are losing perspective on is that the demographic this campaign is targeting is tourists - period. Therefore, locals (the ones who will benefit from the campaign) need to know the who, what, where, when and why.

And then, after collecting all the facts, if your opinion is still unfavorable, the next step is that you BECOME INVOLVED. You don't bite the hand that feeds you by "protesting" a campaign that is attempting to ensure the inevitable growth and change to come is as positive as possible, especially if the basis of the protest is based solely on aesthetics. You become involved to help it along if you think your input would be beneficial.

And if you don't become involved? Then you trust in those who are involved to do the job and support them and their effort.

SWGB, I definitely "get" it.

 

[GoodWitch58]

Jill: I think you are missing the point of the "protest"--it seems you have subscribed to Group Think

 

[seagrovegirl]

Not by the people the campaign isn't targeting, no.

I think what SO many people are losing perspective on is that the demographic this campaign is targeting is tourists - period. Therefore, locals (the ones who will benefit from the campaign) need to know the who, what, where, when and why.

And then, after collecting all the facts, if your opinion is still unfavorable, the next step is that you BECOME INVOLVED. You don't bite the hand that feeds you by "protesting" a campaign that is attempting to ensure the inevitable growth and change to come is as positive as possible, especially if that basis of that protest is based solely on aesthetics. You become involved to help it along if you think your input would be beneficial. And if you don't become involved? Then you trust in those who are involved to do the job and support them and their effort.

Who says we want "them" to get involved in the first place. I beleive that is the point! Tourists will not benefit from the campaign if there isn't anything there unique to advertise...who benefits then? The locals make this area unique and that seems to have gotten lost in the translation of S. Walton marketing. We are not FWB, PCB, we are SOWAL.......period. The Emerald Coast says it better. "They" are not wanted, or needed, why are you shoving it down our throats?

 

[DuneLaker]

Like a lot of your post. Thank you. But, really, really, really disagree that any part of Walton County should ever be considered Destin. No part of Walton County has ever been in Destin, this includes Sandestin and Miramar Beach. People are finally getting back to using a Walton County address after a brief decade or two of error. Besides, taxes are collected by county. So the Sandestin tax revenues will be rightly counted in Walton County. Just because tourists have been confused and/or not told the right location where there were for the last decade, does not mean we should continue with this misinformation. The U.S. Post Office was taking steps in correcting and updating this, or they were. Maybe if Okaloosa County were disbanded and rejoined Walton County it would clear this up and save a lot of tax dollars in the meantime. (Walton County was founded in 1824, Okaloosa County was formed in 1915, half out of Walton County and half out of Santa Rosa County)

 

[Indigo Jill]

Who says we want "them" to get involved in the first place. I beleive that is the point! Tourists will not benefit from the campaign if there isn't anything there unique to advertise...who benefits then? The locals make this area unique and that seems to have gotten lost in the translation of S. Walton marketing. We are not FWB, PCB, we are SOWAL.......period. The Emerald Coast says it better. "They" are not wanted, or needed, why are you shoving it down our throats?

Ay yi yi...:shock:

I think I am just going to agree to disagree on this topic. ;-)

 

[yippie]

Like a lot of your post. Thank you. But, really, really, really disagree that any part of Walton County should ever be considered Destin. No part of Walton County has ever been in Destin, this includes Sandestin and Miramar Beach. People are finally getting back to using a Walton County address after a brief decade or two of error. Besides, taxes are collected by county. So the Sandestin tax revenues will be rightly counted in Walton County. Just because tourists have been confused and/or not told the right location where there were for the last decade, does not mean we should continue with this misinformation. The U.S. Post Office was taking steps in correcting and updating this, or they were. Maybe if Okaloosa County were disbanded and rejoined Walton County it would clear this up and save a lot of tax dollars in the meantime. (Walton County was founded in 1824, Okaloosa County was formed in 1915, half out of Walton County and half out of Santa Rosa County)

I am not saying that the we don't know the difference between Destin & Walton Counties, but I KNOW MANY of the tourist don't know the difference.

There is a travel forum that many of the posters on this web site are posters on. If you care to read the post, go to the Destin forum. You will see what I am talking about. Then look around at the other Florida forums.

http://www.tripadvisor.com

Again, I am speaking about the tourist aspect here.

I wonder if a break down of bed tax via zip code is available.
32541 - Destin
32550 - Area from Walton County line to Tops'l
32459 - Most of the 30-A area
32413 - East part of 30-A from Seacreat to Phillips Inlet (I think that is where it starts, but it continues into the PCB area)
????? - Rosemary Beach has their own zip code.

 

[DuneLaker]

Most likely. Department of Revenue should have. Maybe someone can contact our South Walton State House Representative Marti Coley, or as it also involves North Walton and the entire county in many ways, Rep. Don Brown. Sen. Gaetz might also be contacted. Heads up though on lobby ties and other influences. It might be good for them to hear from citizens on what we really think of all this. Like the TDC Board members, I suspect their information is filtered as well. It is up to the public to enlighten them.

 

[scooterbug44]

I think what SO many people are losing perspective on is that the demographic this campaign is targeting is tourists - period. Therefore, locals (the ones who will benefit from the campaign) need to know the who, what, where, when and why.

Who: apparently not us, as if I had a dollar for every time I was told that I wasn't allowed to have an opinion about what is being done to my community by the TDC and other groups, I could easily fork over the $15K for a year's membership in a group suffering from a collective case of cranial-rectal inversion.

What: lots of local $ spent, lots of closed door/mind meetings, lots of hideous results, lots of unwelcome change that is contrary to the groups' stated purpose

Where: THE, THE, THE beach campaign is successful only inside the minds of the 3000

When: Now, as if they continue, the future is looking bleak and Disneyish

Why: We'd REALLY all like to know!