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Research firms tell Walton TDC advertising yields $15.17 per dollar; council approves study of visitors who don't return
Summary
Consultants told the Walton County Tourist Development Council that county advertising yields $15.17 in government revenue for each $1 spent, and the council approved a $30,000–$34,000 study to analyze why some past visitors do not return.
A consulting team told the Walton County Tourist Development Council that county advertising produces a measurable return to local government and recommended a follow-on study to learn why some past visitors do not return.
Erin Dinkel and colleagues presented an ROI analysis that concluded Walton County tourism advertising yields $15.17 in government revenue for every $1 spent on advertising. Erin summarized the methodology: the study used the county’s visitor-tracking survey to estimate visitor spending and taxes, estimated that visitors generate about $241,000,000 in county revenue, and attributed roughly 45% of visitor influence to Walton County tourism advertising (16% directly influenced, 28% brand-supported). Erin said the analysis then applied those shares to compute the $15.17 ROI figure.
The consultants also proposed a targeted “non-return visitor” study to understand why some prior visitors do not return. They estimated the research cost at roughly $30,000 for the survey work plus up to $4,000 for participant incentives (a $5 gift card per response would raise the total to about $34,000). The firm recommended a 400‑response target (about a 5% margin of error at 95% confidence) and suggested contacting 2,000–3,000 past-guest emails to reach that quota. The presenters said Walton County partner participation (bed-tax collectors, lodging partners and meeting planners) would be key to reaching the needed sample and producing actionable results.
Council action: a motion to proceed with the non-return visitor study was made and approved by voice vote. Members asked staff to coordinate with bed‑tax collectors and partners to assemble contact lists or provide distribution paths; staff confirmed funding exists within the research budget to support the project.
What members asked for: council members stressed that any partner lists used for outreach should be treated as confidential and suggested offering participating partners a custom property-level report if they reach a minimum response threshold.
Ending: Consultants said the visitor‑behavior research would help tailor marketing and address negative perceptions; the council approved moving forward with the study and asked staff to begin partner outreach and logistics.
