Visit South Walton Spring 2021 Research

[Truman]

From what I gather looking at stats and watching tourism and the TDC very closely since the beginning...

Most people are coming from the south and know about us. They need to be reminded and given incentive to book early and often but it's an easy sell.

The condos, rental agents, and resorts do a good job of marketing and fill most of their beds with no help.

A low-cost campaign of social media, newsletters, and sites like this one is probably all that is needed.

Also low-cost press releases touting beach safety, environmentalism, activities a no brainer. Travel sites, magazines, and newspapers will print almost anything you send them, especially if you have great photos to go along like photos on this site.

Spend money on beach access and keeping things clean and family friendly and people come for generations. It's a tradition. Stop over development and they will keep coming.

Being too crowded will make people go elsewhere.

 

[outofadream]

From what I gather looking at stats and watching tourism and the TDC very closely since the beginning...

Most people are coming from the south and know about us. They need to be reminded and given incentive to book early and often but it's an easy sell.

The condos, rental agents, and resorts do a good job of marketing and fill most of their beds with no help.

A low-cost campaign of social media, newsletters, and sites like this one is probably all that is needed.

Also low-cost press releases touting beach safety, environmentalism, activities a no brainer. Travel sites, magazines, and newspapers will print almost anything you send them, especially if you have great photos to go along like photos on this site.

Spend money on beach access and keeping things clean and family friendly and people come for generations. It's a tradition. Stop over development and they will keep coming.

Being too crowded will make people go elsewhere.

I totally agree with everything you’re saying Truman… For the TDC to be spending millions each year for the past several years is insanity. Money needs to start to be used for environmental protection, more county beach accesses...buying property to make that happen and maintaining and repairing the existing accesses. Our roadways need repairing and it looks like the golf carts aren’t going away anytime soon so build a golf cart path running the length of 30A...get them off the road where they do not belong

 

[30A Skunkape]

Truman nailed it. And, the survey shows the reason people come here is the beach. "It's the beach, stupid" should be the TDC's mantra. Forget about festivals, ads, websites...nobody cares or pays attention to that stuff. They all know about us, they all drive here, and 'they' are plenty enough. There is no need to court Californians or New Englanders to come here, they don't and won't. Buy up as much beach access as possible and maintain them well!

 

[outofadream]

Truman nailed it. And, the survey shows the reason people come here is the beach. "It's the beach, stupid" should be the TDC's mantra. Forget about festivals, ads, websites...nobody cares or pays attention to that stuff. They all know about us, they all drive here, and 'they' are plenty enough. There is no need to court Californians or New Englanders to come here, they don't and won't. Buy up as much beach access as possible and maintain them well!

So right on! How did the knuckleheads who’ve been spending millions of dollars over the last several years get the authority to do so? Where was the oversight and accountability? If the money was spent for advertising without anyone questioning..where else did it go?