Explore Asheville

Communities in Western North Carolina, including ours, are recovering after the devastating floods and aftermath of Hurricane Helene. While our downtown, lodging, and much of our hospitality infrastructure fared well, most areas are still without power and water service, and early stages of recovery are ongoing in parts of our beloved community. The Asheville Regional Airport is open and operating, and critical highways like I-40 East and I-26 are now accessible, making it easier to mobilize support. Right now, the focus is on taking care of our residents and workers and servicing the many first responders who have answered the call from all over the country—helping those impacted and addressing the economic and emotional toll at hand. As our community continues to assess and address the damage, we are witnessing countless acts of kindness, support, and resilience among our neighbors. Despite widespread cell service disruptions, power and water outages, and impassable roads, able businesses have opened their doors to provide food and water to residents. Neighbors have checked in on neighbors. Hospitality businesses are serving first responders with food and shelter. We are grateful for the first responders working around the clock and have been heartened by the calls of love and support from all corners of the country. We will continue to find strength in each other, the deeply rooted communities of Western North Carolina, and our unceasing resolve to rebuild. People have always been drawn to Asheville and the mountains of Western North Carolina. We know many of you care deeply and want to support our community. If you want to contribute, consider donating to local recovery efforts such as: - Donate directly to The Salvation Army of Asheville, MANNA FoodBank - Asheville NC , and United Way of Asheville & Buncombe County.  - To donate bulk items, email: [email protected].  - To volunteer, email: [email protected]. We’re seeing progress, slow as it may be. While travel may not be possible at the moment, please keep Asheville in your heart. When the time is right, we’ll be ready to welcome you back with open arms. Until then, thank you for your love and support as we rebuild. Always, Asheville #AlwaysAsheville #AshevilleStrong #HeleneRecovery #WNCRecovery https://lnkd.in/gwApxU7F

A message from President & CEO of Explore Asheville and the BCTDA Vic Isley: Good afternoon, thanks for the messages of care and concern that have made it through and those that haven’t about Asheville. There is a lot of work ahead of our community and region. We are hurting AND we are strong. The two pictures are from earlier today. One from the rooftop of the new Moxy hotel downtown taken by me AND one from The Radical Hotel in the River Arts District taken by Tyler Thompson. Many of our Explore Asheville team we have heard are safe and accounted for, others we have not been able to reach yet. If you are able to connect please let us know you are safe by dropping a note in the comments please. 🙏🏼 If you haven’t heard from loved ones or teammates, there is a near communication failure with power, phone service and internet out. There has been some wifi available outside of the Moxy, but that sidewalk has been pretty crowded all day. I have heard there’s wifi available near fire stations like the new one on Broadway because they have towers there. That is unconfirmed though. The hotels I’ve been able to connect with don’t have power or water so are not able to accommodate guests or residents seeking shelter. The Ag Center near the airport is at near capacity with 400 people. Possibly AB Tech opening up to act as a shelter later today. The airport is open and operating with generator power but most flights cancelled today. Please check with your airline if you are trying to fly in or out of AVL. Downtown is mostly unscathed with some sidewalk trees down. Old Europe was open and the Barkdega had a sign saying it would open at 11am. You can see the River Arts District has a long way to go. Harris Teeter on Merrimon was open yesterday and today with long lines outside. Cash only, one in and one out. Long, long waits at two gas stations on Merrimon. If you are a part of the travel and hospitality family in Asheville and Buncombe County, please drop a status update in the comments below. Please be patient, kind, pray and take care of one another. Always, Asheville xoxo

As Hurricane Helene continues up the East Coast bringing inclement weather to the Asheville area and to Buncombe County, resident and visitor safety is a top priority. Buncombe County has declared a local state of emergency following Governor Roy Cooper’s state of emergency for North Carolina as the area prepares for the impacts of Hurricane Helene. The county’s emergency management plan will remain in effect until 6 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 29, or until it is rescinded. Links to local information, weather advisories, attraction and business closures, event updates, and area hotels taking resident reservations during this weather event can be found on Explore Asheville's Weather Advisory page. https://lnkd.in/dtqZjrhP

Thank you to the nearly 300 travel and hospitality partners, community leaders, members and friends who joined us for the 2024 BCTDA Annual Meeting hosted at the beautiful Crest Center & Pavilion. 🎤The talented Trevor Darden (Street Sinatra) opened and closed the program with his stylish tunes and dance moves. 📣Keynote speaker, Rohit Bhargava gave an engaging and insightful presentation on the impact of non-obvious marketing, sharing how to stand out from the noise. ✨Past BCTDA board members Kathleen Mosher and Scott Patel were recognized for their dedicated years of service. 🏆The 2024 William A.V. Cecil Leadership Award was presented to McKibbon Hospitality in recognition of their passion for shaping places of hospitality, dedication to inspiring associates and guests, and legacy of investing in communities they care about, including Asheville and Buncombe County. To learn more about McKibbon's impact on Asheville and Buncombe County, check out the video produced by local filmmaker, Paul Bonesteel:https://lnkd.in/e35vubpe 📸: Jess Hopkins Photography

Are you looking for a job that directly supports the incredible work of our executive team, Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority (BCTDA) board, and various internal and external stakeholders? You could be a perfect fit for our Manager, Executive & Strategy! This team member manages the operations of Explore Asheville's Executive Office and provides strategic and confidential support to the President & CEO, in addition to working closely with BCTDA board members and Explore Asheville staff. Learn more and apply below!

Cheers to McKibbon Hospitality on their grand opening of the Moxy Hotels-Asheville! Many years in the making, this establishment continues Pat Whalen and Karen Ramshaw of PUBLIC INTEREST PROJECTS, INC's vision to bring downtown to life. Resembling a jewel box, the glass and steel facade features nearly 360-degree views and bespoke interiors adorned with works from 16 local artists, including NC's tallest mural painted by Scott Allred. This hotel creates 50 jobs and generates new tax revenue for Asheville and Buncombe County. #Welcome to the neighborhood Moxy Asheville!

Did you know that many of the amenities Asheville and Buncombe County residents and visitors enjoy daily were made possible in part by #travelandhospitality? Through the Tourism Product Development Fund (#TPDF) and Legacy Investment from Tourism (#LIFT) Fund, the BCTDA leverages visitor dollars to enhance Asheville's authentic character and offerings. 💰 Nearly $100 million invested in 51 loved local amenities 🏛 Over 79% supported City and County projects 🌳 More than 13 miles of greenways and 9 nature spaces built 🎨 20 cultural venues and 12 sporting facilities enhanced Watch to learn how travel & hospitality-driven investments are benefitting our community! Asheville Municipal Golf Course (Muni) ⛳ Muni, a Donald Ross masterpiece from 1927, is more than just 18 holes. It's a National Historic Place and home to Skyview, the longest-running African American golf tournament in the U.S. #CommunityInvestmentSeries #PoweredinpartbyTravelandHospitality #AlwaysAsheville

Only one week left to reserve your spot at the 2024 Explore Asheville Annual Meeting, taking place Monday, September 16, 3-6pm at the Crest Center & Pavilion. Travel and hospitality partners, community leaders and colleagues are invited to celebrate more than 40 years of shaping and investing in Asheville's deeply rooted, ever-evolving community. 🌟 Keynote speaker Rohit Bhargava is a trend-watching speaker on a mission to inspire audiences to think and market in non-obvious ways. 🌟The recipient of the 25th annual William A.V. Cecil Award will be revealed and recognized. 🌟Gain meaningful insights and foster stronger partnerships through networking. 🌟Stick around after the presentation to enjoy tasty bites, craft beverages, beautiful views from the Crest Pavilion and valuable networking with industry colleagues and friends. Register here: https://lnkd.in/ejWPhG6s

Our latest #TravelandHospitalityCommunityUpdate is out! Summarizing key highlights from the August Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority board meeting, the newsletter includes: 💡 July lodging occupancy and demand, plus new vacation rental insights 📊 Analyses on midyear lodging performance and hotel and vacation rental performance by comparative markets 🚀 Update on the FY25 marketing strategy to support businesses, sustain livelihoods for residents, and generate necessary tax revenues for government partners 👏 Gratitude to outgoing board members Kathleen Mosher and Scott Patel Click below to learn how Explore Asheville inspires visitors, providing an economic boost to our community this fall 👀🍂 https://lnkd.in/d_Hq75qw

Thank you to all our amazing partners who joined us for the 2nd Annual Travel & Hospitality Night at McCormick Field! ⚾️ We truly hit it out of the park this year with over 600 industry professionals in attendance 🤩! Travel and hospitality are at the heart of our community and its economic vitality. We enjoyed celebrating the #PowerOfTravel with our partners who champion Asheville and Buncombe County each and every day. Help us keep the up the momentum by tagging your photos with #AVLTravelandHospitalityNight 📸 We're already looking forward to seeing you all again next year!