OKALOOSA COUNTY SHORT TERM RENTAL MARKET MAKES 31.98% UPSWING IN 2011

OUR TOURIST COMMUNITY IS BACK AND THEY HAVE COME BACK IN A MAJOR WAY. ALSO, IN A RECENT ANNOUNCEMENT BY SOUTHERN RESORTS, A LOCAL LARGE SHORT TERM RENTAL COMPANY, ADVANCE RESERVATIONS ARE WELL ABOVE EXPECTIONS FOR 2012. IN CONCLUSION, OUR TOURIST HAVE FOUND OUT, THE BEACHES OF OKALOOSA AND THE SURROUNDING COUNTIES ARE NOT COVERED IN OIL AND THEY TOLD THEIR FRIENDS, THEIR FRIENDS TOLD THEIR FRIENDS, AND SO ON.

Tourists return after spill
By DUSTY RICKETTS
Northwest Florida Daily News 315-4448 dricketts@nwfdailynews.com  
Tourism professionals were hoping for a strong turnaround this year after last summer’s disastrous BP oil spill. But record-breaking bed tax collections exceeded even the loftiest hopes. September was the final month for the local tourist development agencies’ fiscal year, and bed tax collections in Okaloosa, Walton and Santa Rosa counties each were up about 30 percent compared to 2010. “We were optimistic. We were hopeful that we would have a strong recovery,” said Dawn Moliterno, executive director of the Walton County Tourist Development Council. “I don’t think any of us knew exactly what those results would be, and certainly we are very pleased and continue to (hope) that this will be a strong shoulder season and catapult us into a strong season next year. We’re just absolutely pleased that the recovery happened as quickly as it did, and none of us truly expected to see the numbers come in the way that it did.” Bed taxes are collected on short-term rentals. The fiscal year ran from Oct. 1, 2010, through Sept. 30 of this year. Walton County’s bed tax collections for fiscal 2011 were up 29.54 percent compared to last year and set a new record. Okaloosa County’s numbers were up 31.98 percent, and Santa Rosa County’s were up 34.98 percent. “We did so much more advertising and so much television advertising, and things that we’ve never been able to do that we sure had our hopes and we’re happy,” said Kate Wilkes, executive director of Santa Rosa County’s TDC. “A lot of people learned about us and came to visit us this year, so I don’t think we’ll have any trouble keeping the momentum,” Wilkes added. “We have to keep ourselves out there with smart advertising.” All three counties finished the fiscal year strong. September’s bed tax collections were up 46.78 percent in Okaloosa County, 47.69 percent in Walton County and 11.78 percent in Santa Rosa County compared to September 2010. “As a result of the team effort of the community and stakeholders, the Emerald Coast had its best June, July, August and September months ever,” Mark Bellinger, executive director of the Okaloosa County TDC, wrote in an email.