April 1, 2026

Explore Asheville and the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority embrace our role in fostering economic growth and vibrancy for Asheville and Buncombe County. Guiding our work are strategic imperatives that ladder up to broader community goals and align with local government and nonprofit focus areas and priorities. 

As we look forward to FY27, our mantra is to rebound and propel. Last year, the Asheville metro area experienced a population decline of 0.6%, making it the only area in North Carolina to see a decrease. However, other data suggests that travel and hospitality has the potential to attract new business and retain residents in our community.

Last year, the Asheville Regional Airport recorded the second-highest air passenger growth, only surpassed by 2023, one year before Hurricane Helene. The completion of the new air terminal at the end of 2027 will continue to enhance this trajectory, significantly improving air travel service and opportunities for regional residents and visitors alike.

The Blue Ridge Parkway, one of the most visited National Park Service units in the country, faced significant challenges due to storm-related landslides and closures. Remarkably, in 2025, the parkway welcomed more visitors than in 2023, underscoring another instance in which our travel and hospitality sectors are propelling our community’s overall rebound. In even more promising news, the Parkway anticipates reopening the single remaining section, between Mount Mitchell and Little Switzerland, by the end of the year.

The resilience, grit, and fortitude of our community — our neighbors, our business owners, our artists, our hospitality professionals — have not only carried us one and a half years since Hurricane Helene but continue to actively propel us forward, leading the way for our community’s revival.

Topics of the FY27 BCTDA Annual Planning Session included:

• Local & National Travel & Hospitality Performance;
• 2026 Resident Perspectives on Tourism;
• Tourism-Related Projects Capital Investments Strategy Update.
  

The last topic builds on the three project types prioritized for investment by our volunteer leadership during the FY26 annual planning session. Any project, facility, or initiative seeking the authority’s investment must be additive and complementary to what already exists. Above all, it must be of this place, reflecting the essence of these mountains, the creative spirit, and the allure of Appalachia, which has drawn people here for generations and continues to do so today.

The most recent destination performance data shows hotel demand is now only 7-8% below 2025 levels — a notable achievement given last year's first quarter was underpinned by FEMA and TSA disaster voucher stays for displaced residents.

The national travel environment is evolving rapidly. Key trends to watch include:

• Increased domestic competition: Destinations heavily dependent on Canadian and international visitors are aggressively competing for domestic travelers, making the competition for market share more intense.
• The K-shaped economy: Luxury and upper-income travel continue to surge, while middle- and lower-income travel demand softens. This bifurcation is expected to accelerate in 2026, and the Asheville area's positioning as a high-quality, experience-heavy destination is a meaningful advantage that has been proven in previous challenging economic times nationally.
• Consumer confidence: Hit its lowest level since 2014 in January 2026, with a partial rebound in February.
• TSA funding: A Senate-passed funding bill cleared the House, resolving near-term uncertainty, though workforce rebuilding will take time following significant staffing losses.
• Gas prices & geopolitical factors: Rising gas prices driven by ongoing global conflict are a concern for drive-market destinations, though the Asheville area has historically performed well during periods of national uncertainty, given its drive-market accessibility from major metro areas.
• Shrinking booking windows: Travelers are booking closer to their travel dates, requiring more agile marketing and yield management strategies.

Historically, during times of national stress, Asheville and Western North Carolina have outperformed similar markets. As a wellness-centered mountain destination with easy access, the Asheville area is poised to benefit from a domestic travel rebound.

As part of its commitment to delivering balanced and sustainable growth, the authority and Explore Asheville partner with MMGY Travel Intelligence to conduct an annual survey that measures residents' awareness and perspectives on travel and hospitality’s impacts and contributions to Buncombe County. A random sample survey of Buncombe County residents this winter resulted in the following key insights:

Community pride remains at an all-time high

• 89% said they are proud to live here.

This year, the Net Promoter Score (NPS) was introduced to measure how likely residents are to recommend Asheville as a destination to their friends and family. Asheville received a score of 46, placing it in the top 10–15% of all destinations assessed nationwide. This score will serve as a baseline for tracking future trends.

The economic benefits of travel and hospitality are widely recognized

• 95% believe that tourism is beneficial to the community, continuing to outpace sentiment from 2025 at 92%, 2024 at 88%, and 2023 at 84%.
• 92% believe that travel and hospitality is an economic driver for Buncombe County and provides an important part of the tax base.
• 86% agree that investment in travel & hospitality promotions, via lodging taxes collected from overnight visitors, fuels the local economy.
• 89% believe the overall benefits of tourism outweigh the challenges.

Residents feel the personal benefits of travel and hospitality and its positive effects on their quality of life

• 79% agree tourism has a positive impact on their own family's life.
• 91% agree that tourism helps support natural and cultural amenities — parks, greenways, performing arts, and museums — that residents enjoy.

Visitors to Buncombe County are important for post-hurricane-recovery

• 88% believe more than ever that visitors have a positive impact on post-hurricane economic recovery in the community.
• 94% support increasing awareness of Asheville's post-Helene recovery.

Unlike previous years, long-term residents see the benefits of tourism more so than newer residents

Residents who have lived in Buncombe County for 21 or more years show higher support for travel and hospitality’s benefits than newer residents — counter to what is typically seen in other destinations.

As part of our long-term commitment to strategic investment, Explore Asheville and the authority engaged CSL International, a leading destination and facility advisory firm, last December to conduct a comprehensive tourism-related capital project and market assessment.

This work builds directly on priorities identified by the board at last year's annual planning session, where three categories of investment were identified:

1. A new large entertainment and arts facility
2. New indoor and outdoor sports facilities
3. Family-friendly attractions

In the past two and a half months, CSL International visited 25-30 destinations in Buncombe County, conducted more than 50 partner interviews, reviewed in excess of 70 planning documents, and compared the area's demographics to more than 60 peer communities. Meeting planner feedback indicates a strong interest in Asheville and Buncombe County, with promising potential across all explored concepts.

Eight Concepts Under Review

CSL International presented preliminary findings on eight facility concepts:

New Large Entertainment/Arts Facility (2,500-seat center) — Strong demand from promoters; Broadway and major concerts currently bypassing the market due to venue limitations. Estimated 90,000–150,000 new room nights and $10–14 M in net new visitor spending annually.

Indoor Sports Center (multi-court tournament facility) — The highest level of proactive interest from tournament organizers of any concept reviewed. Estimated 300,000–400,000 attendees and $20–30 M in net new visitor spending annually.

Outdoor Baseball/Softball Complex (8–12 field tournament facility) — Most significant regional gap in tournament-quality facilities. Estimated 250,000–350,000 attendees and 15,000–20,000 new room nights annually.

Outdoor Soccer/Multi-Use Fields — Addresses growing demand for soccer, lacrosse, and flag football. Estimated $12–18 M in net new visitor spending.

Family Attraction — Concept remains broadly defined. Strong developer interest in the market.

Conference/Meeting Facility (30,000–40,000 sq ft, ideally hotel-connected) — Strong interest from meeting planners who love the destination. Addresses significant lost business currently turned away. Estimated 25–35 conventions annually; strong economic development potential.

Outdoor Concert Venue/Amphitheater — There is deep experience from local promoters and venues in addition to interest from national promoters for touring arists in a 7,000+ capacity facility. High capital investment required; existing outdoor venue inventory is a consideration.

ExploreAsheville.com Arena Renovation — The 50-year-old Harrah’s Cherokee Center—Asheville ExploreAsheville.com Arena will require modernization investment to remain competitive. Strong visitor draw with 1 in 4 attendees traveling from 100+ miles away.

Investment Capacity

The authority has the capacity to be a significant financial partner in transformative projects through two funds, which together have committed $108 million in 55 projects across Buncombe County:

• Tourism Product Development Fund (TPDF): Can support up to 3 simultaneous debt service commitments of $21–25M per project, while maintaining $3M+ annually for regular community grants.
• Legacy Investment from Tourism Fund (LIFT): Can support up to 3 simultaneous debt service commitments of $25–28M per project, while maintaining $2M+ annually for community projects.

The McCormick Field Centennial Restoration and Capital Improvements project reopening on April 21 serves as proof of concept for this investment model in the first debt service project with the City via the TPDF Fund, with a $22.95M commitment structured over 15 years.

What Comes Next

This study is halfway through its process. The next phase will add greater economic rigor and business case analysis to each concept, helping the community prioritize investments that:

• Generate net new revenue for Buncombe County's economic vitality, business health as well as municipal partner tax base
• Keep resident spending in our own community
• Support workforce attraction and retention
• Are additive and complementary to existing businesses and venues
• Remain of this place — authentic to the mountain character, creative spirit, and Appalachian identity

MORE INFORMATION & NEXT MEETING OF BCTDA

Find documents from the March 27 Annual Planning Session HERE >>

THE NEXT BCTDA BOARD MEETING
Wednesday, April 29 | 9–11 a.m.
Explore Asheville | 27 College Place
Details to be posted HERE >>

Delivering Balanced 
& Sustainable Growth

Encouraging Safe & Responsible Travel 

Engaging & Inviting More Diverse Audiences

Promoting & Supporting Asheville's
Creative Spirit