2017 Awards and Honors
January
- TravelingMom.com: "Best Beaches for Families in the U.S." (mentions Gulf State Park)
- Travel Pulse: "10 Best Beaches in America Outside of Florida" (mentions Hangout Music Festival and Flora-Bama)
- Golf Advisor: "Top 10 Golf Courses in the United States in 2016" (Kiva Dunes ranked #4)
- SportsEvents: "Reader's Choice Award" (Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Sports Commission
- SportsEvents: "Sports Event to Watch in 2017" (NCAA National Collegiate Beach Volleyball Championship)
- Travel and Leisure: "The Best Hotel in Every State" (Turquoise Place)
- Epicure and Culture: "8 Awesome Accessible Attractions in the USA" (Hugh S. Branyon Backcountry Trail)
- Alabama Living: "Best of Alabama 2017" (best campground and state park - Gulf State Park; best outdoor festival/jubilee - National Shrimp Festival; best family outing location; and best "spur of the moment" weekend trip - Gulf shores and Orange Beach Alabama)
February
- StyleBlueprint: "8 Southern Music Festivals Worth the Trip" (Hangout Music Festival)
- Atlanta Journal-Constitution: "5 Best Beaches Near Atlanta: Best Beach for Festivals" (mentions Hangout Music Festival, National Shrimp Festival, The Hangout Oyster Cook-Off and Craft Beer Weekend, Flora-Bama, Frank Brown International Songwriters' Festival, Mullet Toss, Pheonix All Suites and The Hangout)
- James Beard Foundation: "Best Chef: South - semifinalist" (Chef Bill Briand at Fisher's at Orange Beach Marina)
March
- JetSetter.com: "America's Best Music Festivals of Spring 2017" (Hangout Music Festival)
- Expedia: "Most Beautiful Towns in All 50 States" (mentions Hugh S. Branyon Backcountry Trail)
- Southern Living: "The South's Best Restaurants 2017" (mentions Fisher's at Orange Beach Marina)
- Southern Living: "The South's Best Bars 2017" (mentions Flora-Bama)
- TravelingMom.com: "8 Best Road Trips in the Southeast USA"
- Time.com: "The 10 Best Beaches for Your Money" (mentions Gulf State Park Beach Pavilion and The LuLu)
- FlipKey.com: "20 Small Towns with the Most Unique Festivals in America" (mentions National Shrimp Festival)
- PopSugar.com: "13 Coastal Towns in the US that are Worth the Visit"
April
- Coastal Living: "This Summer's Best Culinary Event" (Fisher's Southern Grace dinners)
- GolfWeek: "Best Golf Courses You Can Play in Each State" (Kiva Dunes)
- PureWow: "The Best Hotel in Every State" (Turquoise Place)
- Forbes: "5 Underrated Music Festivals You Should Definitely Attend this Year" (Hangout Music Festival)
- Travel Channel: "Best Beaches for Wheelchair Users" (mentions Beach Power Rentals, Ike's Beach Service and Hilton Garden Inn Orange Beach)
- Epicure & Culture: "10 Awesome Ways to Celebrate Earth Day in the USA" (mentions Awakened Life Yoga Festival)
- Travel Channel: "12 Beaches Known for Their Seafood" (mentions The Gulf)
May
- Reader's Digest: "10 of the Best Beaches in America to Hit This Summer"
- USA Today: "Best Beach Bites: TV Chef Katie Lee's Seaside Faves" (mentions Hog Wild BBQ)
- TravelPulse: "5 US Beaches Flying Under the Radar"
June
- Travel and Leisure: "The Best Beaches in the U.S. for Celebrating Fourth of July" (mentions West Beach and Gulf State Park Fishing and Education Pier)
- Bon Appetit: "13 of the Best Farmers' Markets Worth Traveling For" (mentions Coastal Alabama Farmers' and Fishermen's Market, Foley, AL)
- MarinaLife: "Top 10 Best Beaches in the South" (mentions Fort Morgan, Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge, Adventure Island, Homeport Marina and Saunders Yachtworks)
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July
July
- Alabama: "Best of Bama Awards 2017" (Best amphitheater - The Amphitheater at The Wharf; best seafood- Fisher's at Orange Beach Marina)
- Birmingham Parent: "Birmingham Parent 2017 Family Favorites " (favorite in-state vacation - Gulf Shores and Orange Beach)
August
- Thrillist: "21 Best Beach Bars in America" (mentions Pirates Cove, Tacky Jacks and Flora-Bama)
September
- Meeting's Day: "Best of Meetings Today - South Winners" (Perdido Beach Resort)
- Golf Advisor: "Top 100 Courses Thru the First Five Years of Ratings" (#92 - Kiva Dunes Golf Course)
- Brit+Co: "6 Fall Travel Sports to Visit if You're Still Clinging to Summer"
- The Active Times: "Underrated Adventure Destinations in North America" (mentions Lake Shelby)
- SuperFeet.com: "Fuel for Adventure: 9 of the Best Farmers' Markets in the Country" (Burris Market at The Wharf)
October
- Cheapism: "The Best Seafood Restaurant in All 50 States" (Cobalt)
- Alabama Restaurant & Hospitality Association: "Chef of the Year" (Brody Olive of Perdido Beach Resort); "Hospitality Manager of the Year" (Blake Allen of Perdido Beach Resort)
November
- MarinaLife: "2017 Best Large Marina" (Orange Beach Marina)
- Orbitz: "Best Places to Get Engaged in Every State"
- Sports Destination Management: "2017 Champions of Economic Impact in Sports Tourism" (sports tourism - series events: USSSA and Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Sports Commission)
December
- ConventionSouth: "Readers' Choice Awards" (The Beach Club, The Caribe Resort, Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Tourism, Perdido Beach Resort and Turquoise Place)
- Good Sam Camping: "Top-Rated RV Parks" (Pandion Ridge Luxury RV Resort)
- Alabama Living: "Best Seafood Restaurant" (Original Oyster House)
- Flipkey: "15 Best Winter Beach Vacations for Sun in the States"