Introduction
Fort Walton Beach is located in Okaloosa County in the state of Florida having a population of approximately 19,992 as per the population census of 2005. This city attracts many tourists especially during summer and the spring break where thousands of tourists flock to the beach. In the light of the above it is true to state that tourism in Fort Walton Beach becomes the primary driving force of the economy of this city (Moore 2007).
Reasons why people travel to Fort Walton Beach
As elaborated by Velton, Obolsky and Ellwood (2004), people travel to Fort Walton Beach for different reasons as this beach offers various activities that are fun to the tourists. The temperatures of the beach during the summer time and the spring break are very favorable.
The city climate is clammy, a characteristic of sub-stifling typical weather. Various fun activities that attract people to Fort Walton Beach include the activity of sailing the bay where the tourists get an opportunity to explore the coast and view the Dolphins.
Fishing activity also takes place in the Okaloosa fishing pier where the tourists get a chance to catch some fish, take photographs as well as enjoying the breeze from the gulf.
Kite surfing is also another major activity that takes place at the beach and lessons are usually offered to the starters thus making it fun to people who have never done this activity before.
The infrastructure that Fort Walton Beach has or doesn’t have.to support the current and future tourism
Franklin and Mikula (2009) points out that Fort Walton Beach has good infrastructure that enable the tourists to access the parts of the city effectively. The Northwest Florida Regional Airport is located in Fort Walton Beach.
In addition to that, it is the largest airport. The presence of this airport has enabled tourists from distant destinations to access the beach effectively. The city is served by various types of airlines such as the Delta Airline, the American eagle, continental express and Vision Airlines.
Various transits also exist within the city that provides the entry and exit of the people within the city in a more efficient manner.
A perfect example of transits is the Okaloosa County Transit that makes available transportation in the entire Fort Walton Beach. The main alighting station to this transit is the uptown station, lying on State Road 85.
Ways in which the plans for hotel and restaurant development will support the growth of tourism
The development of various hotels and restaurants within the Fort Walton Beach will greatly help in the growth of tourism in the area. The presence of many hotels and restaurants that provide good services for the clients will attract many tourists who will be interested in touring the city.
Many tourists are usually attracted to areas where there are good amenities therefore to ensure that tourists continue to visit the beach it is important that the hotels are made suit their needs for example the provision of wireless internet which will ensure that the tourists indulge in business while on vacation thus eliminating inconveniences.
These hotels should also be secure so as to ensure the visitors that they will be safe throughout their stay at the beach.
Unique facilities that will help in the attraction of more tourists to the beach include the provision of Jacuzzi’s, beach games, good food as well as ensuring that the tourists enjoy good food in these beach hotels (Butko & Butko 2007).
Propositions that Fort Walton Beach require to prepare for the future
The three main attractions that can be introduced in the Fort Walton beach to help in attracting more tourists to the beach include the increase in the number of the accommodation facilities in the city in order to accommodate the ever increasing number of the tourists that flock in to the city every year.
This will ensure that the tourist enjoy their stay during their vacation. The hotels should offer state of the art facilities like the indoor heated pool, hot tub, exercise room, entertainment as well as ensuring that the people get access to free wired or the provision of wireless internet.
A museum should also be established within the beach where the children can have fun in learning more about the aquatic animals and their characteristics. The establishment of the museum will be beneficial since it will be able to attract more people especially the school going children.
Another feature that can be introduced in the beach is the sport activities that can be done by different age groups like the beach volleyball, and football (Franklin & Mikula, 2009)
In conclusion, Fort Walton Beach is an important site in Florida that attracts many tourists every year thus boosting on the country’s economy.
Security is important in ensuring that the tourists feel secure and enjoy their vacation. Hotels that are present within the beach play a very crucial role in providing accommodation for the tourists.
Various activities such as kite surfing are very common in this beach but other activities such as beach volleyball can be introduced in order to increase fun at the beach.
References
Butko, B. & Butko, S. (2007). Roadside attractions: Cool cafés, souvenir stands, Route 66 relics, & other road trip fun. Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole Books.
Franklin, P. M. & Mikula, N. (2009). Backroads of Florida: Your guide to great day trips & weekend getaways. Minneapolis: Voyageur Press.
Moore, M. (2007). Florida camping: The vomplete guide to tent and RV camping. Emeryville, California: Avalon Travel.
Velton, R., Obolsky, T. & Ellwood, M. (2004). The rough guide to Florida. New York: Rough Guides.