Destin And Fort Walton Beach Secure Two Million Dollars In Tourist Development Tax For Key Projects, Update You Need To Know Now

Published on August 8, 2025 |

By: TTW News Desk

In a strategical move to bolster tourism infrastructure, nan Okaloosa County Commission has approved nan allocation of astir $2 cardinal successful Tourist Development Tax (TDT) revenues for nan fiscal twelvemonth 2026. The costs from this Tourist Development Tax allocation shall beryllium utilized for basal formation activities and sports tourism initiatives for nan Cities of Destin and Fort Walton Beach.

The Tourist Development Tax, a 6% lodging taxation imposed connected short-term rental accommodations, serves arsenic a superior gross root for tourism-related initiatives in Okaloosa County. Collected from visitors staying successful various lodging establishments, nan TDT generates important costs dedicated to enhancing nan county’s tourism offerings.

Destin, renowned for its pristine beaches and vibrant tourism industry, has been allocated complete $1.4 cardinal successful Tourist Development Tax funds. A important portion, $750,000, will beryllium directed towards repaying nan region for antecedently precocious costs utilized to grow nationalist formation access. The remaining funds, astir $665,000, will support nan attraction and operations of celebrated formation parks and boardwalks, including June White Decker Park, Norriego Point and Captain Royal Melvin Heritage Park. These facilities, operating 12 to 16 hours daily, are pivotal successful maintaining Destin’s position arsenic a premier tourer destination.

The elaborate spending scheme includes:

• $445,000 for unit salaries and benefits
• $90,000 for janitorial supplies
• Funds for utilities, (seed) disease power and platform repairs

Destin’s ongoing committedness to maintaining its nationalist beaches is important successful ensuring continued tourism postulation to nan area, supported by nan Tourist Development Tax allocation.

Fort Walton Beach has been allocated $650,000 successful Tourist Development Tax costs to heighten its sports tourism infrastructure. Of this, $575,000 will money renovations to nan Pines Course astatine nan municipal play club, including stripping and fumigating each 18 holes earlier installing caller turf. Anticipated to reopen successful August 2025, nan people is projected to tie complete 3,200 non-local players annually. Also, nan costs will assistance successful nan attraction of nan Preston Hood Athletic Complex. With complete 30 tournaments each year, it draws competitory teams from each complete nan country. These costs are projected to thief heighten nan City of Fort Walton Beach’s purpose to marketplace nan metropolis arsenic a sports tourism destination, made imaginable by nan gross from nan Tourist Development Tax.

Other municipalities including Shalimar, Cinco Bayou and Mary Esther, person opted to rotation complete their TDT allocations for early associated projects pinch nan county. These costs will stay disposable for initiatives that align pinch tourism improvement objectives. Unused allocations from different municipalities will rotation complete and stay disposable for early initiatives, ensuring nan costs are put to usage successful a mode that champion benefits tourism maturation crossed Okaloosa County done nan Tourist Development Tax program.

The measurement Okaloosa County allocates its funds, peculiarly its expenditure connected nan formation operations and nan sports tourism, shows its dedication towards processing its tourism and enhances nan county’s wide infrastructure . Okaloosa region is projected to stay a premier attraction and a favourite formation authorities for visitors each complete nan world. Through nan initiatives funded by Tourist Development Tax, it is definite nan measures will person a agelong lasting economical effect which will fortify nan tourism imaginable of nan experiencing region.