Navarre, Mary Esther, Fort Walton Beach are getting for long term rentals and short term rentals with tons of military, government jobs, beautiful beaches and tourism.

The region is very friendly towards STR's and is a huge tourism market.  

Urban hotspots - Cities with high tourism demand, such as New York, San Francisco, and Miami, have a steady stream of travelers, businesspeople, and students looking for short-term rental accommodations.3.

This high demand can lead to a strong real estate market, which can potentially result in higher profits for investors.Appreciating property values: Property values in the Emerald Coast have historically appreciated over time, making it a potentially lucrative market for real estate investors.Strong economy: The economy of the Emerald Coast is strong and diverse, with industries such as tourism, healthcare, and defense playing a significant role.

- If you're all in on STR, look at cities that have really friendly/strong tourism with little possibility they'll change (Destin, FL)

agreed - definitely disappointing decision though, especially considering the growth projections and increased tourism in this city.

If you want a Short term rental or STR than you will need to go to places that bring in a lot of tourism like the panhandle.

Tacking onto this Steve, with the "Gold-Rush" of those chasing STR "Gold-Fever" it will be interesting to see how segment goes, for example a FL market, or similar high market share % based upon tourism.   

I began investing here in 2017.Historically, while property values did dive significantly during the 2008 recession (which was pre-self management of vacation rentals and locally most cabins were second homes and/or had management fees around 40%) - but tourism in the area saw a very small decline over that same time period.  

There is a ton of international tourism so I suspect appreciation rates will be stronger than the local Edmonton and Calgary markets.