Market Research

Research plays a vital role in all of South Walton's strategic activities including but not limited to marketing and branding. The most recent research is listed below. To learn more about the research process, please contact Kelli Carter (850) 622-7812.

FY 2011 Product Definition Study Fall 2011

The purpose of this research is to catalog the current inventory of available lodging in the South Walton and to trend:

  • Available units
  • Average daily rates
  • Average occupancy rates
  • Average length of stay
  • Average party size


Date of Report: March 2012

Download: FALL Product Definition 2011 rev FINAL

Lapsed Visitor Study

  • Researches visitors to South Walton who do not plan to return to South Walton in 2012.

Date of Report: March 2012

Download: Lasped Visitor Study for 2012 13 FINAL

Economic Impact Study

  • Measures the economic impact of visitors to South Walton.

Date of Report: March 2012

Download: Economic Impact 2011 FINAL

2011 South Walton Group Business Profile & Impact Study

  • Better understand the profile of group business (meetings, weddings, and reunions) in South Walton
  • Quantify the impact of group business on South Walton

Date of Report: March 2012

Download: Group Business 2011

Visitor Tracking Study

  • Profile travel parties to South Walton
  • Size, length of stay, number of times visited
  • Assess motivation for visiting South Walton
  • Determine likelihood of returning
  • Define mode of transportation
  • Assess importance of vacation attributes
  • Capture rating of South Walton on vacation attributes
  • Calculate total expenditures & expenditures by category
  • Investigate trip planning information
  • Assess use of Visitors Guide & Visitors Center
  • Create a demographic profile of visitors

Date of Report: Fall 2011

Download: FAll 2011 Visitor Tracking FINAL

2011 Lifestyle Segmentation

  • The purpose of market segmentation is to find consumer groups (visitors) that share characteristics that translate into similar buying behavior (visits to South Walton).  
  • Lifestyle segmentation dates to the 1970s and includes rich consumer profile characteristics such as general buying characteristics, media habits, demographics, attitudes, and activities.  
  • The value of lifestyle segmentation is that similarities in lifestyles are more highly correlated with buying behavior (visiting South Walton) than are more unidimensional factors such as age or gender or income.
  • This study is conducted every three years

Date of Report: January 2012

Download: Lifestyle Segmentation 2011

FY 2011 Product Definition Study Summer 2011

The purpose of this research is to catalog the current inventory of available lodging in the South Walton and to trend:

  • Available units
  • Average daily rates
  • Average occupancy rates
  • Average length of stay
  • Average party size

Date of Report: September 2011

Download: South Walton PDF -Summer 2011

Potential Visitors Study

  • Assess potential visitors’ awareness and perceptions of South Walton to inform marketing efforts by the South Walton Tourist Development Council and its partners.

Date of Report: Summer 2011

Download: Potential Visitors FINAL

Visitor Tracking Study

  • Profile travel parties to South Walton
  • Size, length of stay, number of times visited
  • Assess motivation for visiting South Walton
  • Determine likelihood of returning
  • Define mode of transportation
  • Assess importance of vacation attributes
  • Capture rating of South Walton on vacation attributes
  • Calculate total expenditures & expenditures by category
  • Investigate trip planning information
  • Assess use of Visitors Guide & Visitors Center
  • Create a demographic profile of visitors

Date of Report: Summer 2011

Download: Visitor Tracking Survey FINAL

FY 2011 Product Definition Study Spring 2011

The purpose of this research is to catalog the current inventory of available lodging in the South Walton and to trend:

  • Available units
  • Average daily rates
  • Average occupancy rates
  • Average length of stay
  • Average party size

Date of Report: September 2011
2011 Product Definition Study, Spring

Information about Oil Spill webpage located at MyFloridaCFO.com and this allows CFO Atwater to hear first-hand the struggles you are facing. It also provides us with information to advocate to the GCCF on your behalf.

Post Oil Spill Business Impact Preliminary Results Summary

To assess the financial impact on Walton County due to the Gulf Oil Spill, this marketing research study was fielded to document monthly occupancy levels and revenue collections for 2008, 2009 and 2010 among Walton County Bed Tax Collectors.

Post Oil Spill Business Impact Preliminary Results Summary

Summary of Oil Spill Related Research

This research is the summary of all research based on the Gulf Oil Spill.

Summary of Oil Spill Related Research