Bed Tax Figures  l  Recreation  l  Historical Points of Interest  l  Cultural Events

Tourism begets trade; trade begets investment; investment begets economic stability!

Tourism...
     measures $1,000,000,000 annually;
     provides 35,000 job opportunities; and
     holds down the local ad-valorem taxes.

Although the primary attractions are the beautiful sugar-white beaches and the bountiful fishing, there are many other recreational activities to enjoy in Okaloosa County.

Best Beach in The South & Top Family Destination
Southern Living Magazine
(seven years in a row)

Although tourism peaks in the spring and summer, vacationers and part-time residents from the northern United States and Canada enjoy the mild fall and winter months.

Best Beaches for Vacationing
USA Today, Parent Magazine   &  Florida Living Magazine

Okaloosa County sells itself!
Inviting resorts, scenic countryside, temperate climate, abounding arts and culture, and quaint downtown areas.

Okaloosa Visitors Make a Monetary Impact:

• An estimated 4.5 million people visit the Emerald Coast annually

• $1 Billion plus in economic activity is provided to the local economy; $2.8 million per day

• 35,000 plus local residents are employed in many forms of tourism-related positions in Okaloosa

• Every dollar spent in Okaloosa County from tourism goes through our local economy 1.8 times or more

• Tourism provides over 45% of the sales tax returned by the State to Okaloosa from tourism services and product sales

• Tourism provides over 35% of the gas tax revenues returned for our local area road repairs.
  Source: Okaloosa Tourist Development Council 2004

Destin, Florida
A Top-Ten Vacation Rental Destination for 2004
Hotel.com

Bed Tax

Bed tax revenues are a valuable indicator for measurement of the number of tourists.  Okaloosa's bed tax is 4% on accommodations up through 2007.  As of January 2008, bed tax is collected at 5%.

Recreational Opportunities

The Gulf of Mexico offers sugar-white beaches, bountiful fresh seafood, chartered boat cruises, and personal watercraft sports. 

Family Recreation

There is a variety of water and adventure parks for family entertainment and all day fun.  The more adventurous can enjoy the go-carts, bungee-jumping, and sky-flying.  Children friendly arcade centers, miniature golf courses, and animal and marine-life parks also offer fun for the whole family.  During the summer there are numerous Kids' Days with an art camp and movie series.  There is also a children's theatre and science center.

Fishing

Destin is the "World's Luckiest Fishing Village." There are over 100 charter and party boats with deep-sea bottom-fishing as one of the specialties of the Destin Fleet, the largest in the world!  There is offshore and inshore fishing opportunities with multiple fishing piers available.  Freshwater fishing can be enjoyed in the Blackwater, Shoal and Yellow rivers.

Golf

Okaloosa offers world-premier golf courses with country club class.  Golfers can play championship courses throughout the county that have been designed by distinguished golf architects.

• Over half a dozen private clubs

• One dozen semi-private courses

• Over one dozen public courses

• Numerous miniature golf courses

Annual golf tournaments are conducted around the county throughout the year.

Parks

The Okaloosa County Park System offers recreational facilities from coastal  to heavily shaded parks. Visitors can enjoy covered pavilions, picnic tables, playground equipment and rest rooms. The northern county area offers miles of river rafting, canoeing and kayaking with picnic facilities.  Camping and hiking can be enjoyed in the wilderness preservations of Blackwater River State Park and the Eglin Reservation.

Shopping and Dinning

Shopping and dinning are additional past-time favorites where Okaloosa sells itself!  There is a magnitude of international cuisine to be enjoyed from beach casual to 5-star dinning.  Outdoor dinning is an enjoyed past-time with the year-round moderate climate.  Savory pastas, juicy steaks, sushi bars, and fresh local seafood are yours to enjoy.  Tempt your palate while you are benefiting from what Okaloosa County offers you during your play-days!

Tennis

Tennis enthusiasts are offered over 100 courts throughout the area.  March hosts the annual international women's tournament in the City of Fort Walton Beach.

Water Sports

Complementing the area's superb fishing are endless water sports to include snorkeling, scuba diving, parasailing, tubing, and windsurfing, not to mention all types of boating.  The Blackwater River State Forest offers canoeing, kayaking, and tubing in clear-water rivers.  Bodies of water such as the Choctawahatchee Bay, Intercoastal Waterway, multiple bayous and the Gulf of Mexico offer ample opportunities for boating and personal watercraft sports.  Multiple yacht clubs offer cruises, rentals and lessons.  Dolphin cruises are high on the list for kids of all ages.

Historical Points of Interest

Museums & Galleries

Okaloosa County is a cultural center with many museums, art galleries, and historical sites.  Local museums exhibit Okaloosa's heritage such as the Camp Walton School House, Carver-Hill Museum, Destin History & Fishing Museum, Heritage Museum of NW Florida, and the Indian Temple Mound Museum & Park.

There is a range of art galleries and a science center.

With the county housing the largest Air Force Base in the world, the Air Force Armament Museum is centrally located outside of Eglin AFB.  The Air Force Armament Museum's Air Armament Institute sponsors the Engineers for America (EFA).

Cultural Events

The Arts Center

Music, art and the theater are yours to enjoy from a relaxing outdoor concert, to an enjoyable community theater, to a state of the art facility.  The Arts Center of Northwest Florida State College  is a performing arts center with two fine art galleries, a theater-in-the-round, a 3,500 capacity amphitheater, a music wing, and a 1,650 seat main theater that is home of the Northwest Florida Symphony Orchestra, and also the site for performances by the New York City Opera, Broadway show troupes, and renowned entertainers.

The local Stagecrafters provide theatre performances throughout the year at different locations.

Amphitheater

There are two amphitheaters; one in Niceville at the OWC Arts Center and the other in Destin where summer concerts are performed.  There are several venues for outdoor summer concert series.

Arts and Crafts Festivals

From Spring to Fall there are numerous festivals around the county offering safe and fun activities for adults and children.  There is the Saint Mary's Spring Fling offering creative crafts; the Billy Bowlegs Festival full of adventure; BBQ & Bluegrass festivals with music and best-eats; the Destin Seafood and Arts Festival with world famous seafood; the Boggy-Bayou Mullet Festival with its infamous fried mullet, crafts and nightly entertainment; and the Mardi Gras Parade and Jester's Ball.  Crafts, food, art and activities for the whole family to enjoy.

Conference Center

The Emerald Coast Conference Center offers 35,000 square feet of meeting space with equipment, service and catering.  The Center can host groups of 15 or 2,000 in rooms ranging from 450 to 1,800 square feet as well as a 21,500 square foot ballroom.  The Conference Center offers accommodations from banquets to concerts and trade shows to weddings.

Okaloosa's Tourist Development Council offers free local transportation via the Emerald Coast Shuttle.  The shuttle services Fort Walton Beach, Okaloosa Island, and Destin.

Northwest Florida Ballet Academy

The Northwest Florida Ballet Academy is located in downtown Fort Walton Beach.

# # #

A listing of Okaloosa County businesses
may be viewed on the EDC membership page.

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