April 30, 2026

New national travel data is showing strong interest in the desire to travel, with some patterns shifting under economic headwinds and spikes in gas prices. According to the latest Longwoods International tracking study of American travelers released late last week, 90% still plan to travel in the next six months, though more than 40% now report planning to travel to destinations closer to home. Travelers are reporting some cancellations, changes to travel plans, and reallocation of travel spending in response to rising gas prices.

Despite these emerging trends, our community’s proximity to half of the U.S. population is within 600 miles, positioning the Asheville area to benefit from the growing demand for road trips. Our regional airport continues to set passenger records as well.

Explore Asheville is maximizing this opportunity by delivering intentional, sustained messaging, recruiting large groups for meetings, investing in strategic tourism capital projects, and strengthening our partner ecosystem so more residents can participate in the visitor economy, which is propelling our community’s rebound.

Other takeaways from the April 2026 board meeting include:

• March lodging occupancy and demand;
• Brenda Durden appointed to the Legacy Investment from Tourism (LIFT) Fund Committee;
• PGA TOUR’s Biltmore Championship Asheville receives early and strong local engagement;
• Highlights of Q3 Business Development, Marketing, Partnership, and Culture efforts and achievements towards Explore Asheville's Strategic Imperatives.
  

National Travel and Tourism Week, May 3–9, is the U.S. travel industry’s annual tradition of recognizing the essential role travel plays in powering our economy, strengthening communities, and connecting America. Explore Asheville celebrates locally by shining a spotlight on the incredible industry, dedicated workers, and vibrant local businesses that enrich our community.

We hope you’ll join us next week for the third annual Heroes of Hospitality Luncheon and the fourth annual Travel & Hospitality Night at HomeTrust Park.

March hotel occupancy was 62%, down two points from 2025 and seven points from 2023. Hotel demand was down 2% from 2025.

March vacation rental occupancy was 55%, down one point from 2025 and three points from 2023. Vacation rental demand was on par with 2025.

Following the committee’s recommendation, the Authority approved Brenda Durden of Asheville Hotel Group, to serve on the Legacy Investment from Tourism (LIFT) Fund Committee. Durden previously served as the chair of the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority's Board of Directors and will complete her final term later this summer.

Through the LIFT Fund, the authority has committed nearly $10 million of investment to a dozen tourism-related capital projects that benefit visitors and residents. Phase I project applications for the 2026 LIFT Fund cycle are due this Friday, May 1.

Since its January launch, the inaugural Biltmore Championship Asheville is already garnering strong market confidence, with premium hospitality demand significantly outpacing initial projections across all inventory categories. Key highlights to date:

• More than 40% of all contracted deals are multi-year commitments, validating the tournament's long-term positioning in the Asheville market.
• Premium hospitality sponsorships are nearly sold out, and due to high demand, the TOUR is adding additional inventory.
• Volunteer registration surpassed 615 sign-ups within the first 32 hours—growing to 965+ volunteers to date, with more than half from Buncombe County.

Explore Asheville will host a Partner Mixer on June 1 from 3:30–5:30 p.m. at the Funkatorium, offering travel and hospitality partners an opportunity to learn more about getting involved with the Biltmore Championship Asheville this fall.

The third quarter of FY26 marked significant momentum for Asheville's rebounding travel and hospitality community. From record-breaking media coverage to growing local partnerships and strengthening resident sentiment, Explore Asheville and the authority are propelling our community towards a stronger year.

Elevating Asheville to a National Spotlight
A Record Quarter for Earned Media

The Asheville area earned features in Travel + Leisure's "Top Trending U.S. Destinations for Spring Break 2026," Southern Living's "The South's Best 2026," Wine Spectator's "Most Underrated U.S. Cities for Food and Wine," and The Points Guy's "17 Best Places to Travel in 2026." The TODAY Show also spotlighted Asheville as a top adventure travel destination, amplifying the city's recovery story to a national audience. In the last quarter, earned media achieved a potential media reach of 4.67 billion and a publicity value of $41.8 million across 36 site visits.

Bringing Top Media to Asheville — and Asheville to Top Media

In January, Explore Asheville participated in a NYC Media Mission and attended TravMedia's International Media Marketplace (IMM), the largest gathering of travel media in North America, to pitch Asheville to more than two dozen journalists from outlets including Travel + Leisure, National Geographic, Fodor's, Food & Wine, and AAA. In March, the team hosted a dozen national and regional media outlets at the Visit NC 365 Conference, spotlighting Asheville's culinary, arts, and wellness experiences for outlets including The Local Palate, Southern Living, Eater Carolinas, and PBS NC. Governor Josh Stein also spoke on the importance of travel to Western NC, generating additional regional coverage.

Trusted Editorial Voices Amplify Asheville’s Story

Through partnerships with Town & Country and Esquire, Explore Asheville invited high-visibility editors to produce long-form print features for both publications, supported by digital amplification across social channels and the publications' own platforms. Esquire’s Guide to Asheville alone garnered 88,000 engagements, demonstrating the power of credible, personality-driven destination storytelling.

Driving Visitation and Economic Impact
Hotel Weeks Drove Winter Stays

Now in its second year, Asheville Hotel Weeks united local lodging partners in February to offer 25% or more off overnight stays, supported by a landing page, PR, paid media, social, and email. The campaign more than doubled last year's performance, generating 35,000+ page views and 6,600 clicks, signaling growing market momentum.

Group & Event Recruitment Delivers Strong Returns

The group and events sector posted impressive growth this past quarter, with 58 groups and events generating $35 million in direct spending and more than 16,700 roomnights. Another 127 groups and events were booked for future visits, representing $7 million in direct spending and nearly 26,000 contracted roomnights.

FAM Tours Highlight Asheville's Meetings Offerings

Tyler Davidson, vice president and chief content director of Meetings Today, joined Explore Asheville's 48-Hour Meeting Planner FAM trip as the sole journalist among 13 planners. This resulted in a three-page print spread in the May 2026 issue featuring 14 hotels and meeting space specs, marking the third Asheville story in the publication since September. The remaining meeting planners represented industries from corporate finance to luxury events and have already yielded two leads for nearly 500 roomnights.

Gaining Visibility in a Changing Digital Landscape
Preparing for the AI Search Era

Explore Asheville conducted a comprehensive content overhaul, auditing 1,000+ articles on ExploreAsheville.com and creating 20 new itineraries from 43 identified topics—all designed to perform well in AI search, voice search, and answer-based results. The work establishes a repeatable framework for keeping Asheville's content visible and competitive as trip planning continues to shift toward new digital tools.

Engaging the Community and Investing in Our Industry
Building Connections Across the Community

This winter, Explore Asheville brought the travel and hospitality community together through a series of partner events, such as The Year Ahead event at The Orange Peel where 350 community leaders gathered to celebrate $12.4 million in Tourism Product Development Fund investments, honor four Asheville Superstar Award recipients, and preview major upcoming initiatives. A Partner Lunch & Learn and Biltmore Championship Executive Reception equipped hospitality partners with information to maximize their participation in upcoming major sporting events. Explore Asheville also welcomed 31 new local business partners this quarter and hosted a New Partner Welcome Mixer connecting them with the broader Explore Asheville team and network.

Investing in the Next Generation of Hospitality Professionals

As part of its Workforce Development program, Explore Asheville tabled at the Owen High School Career Fair alongside Asheville Hotel Group, reaching 200+ students, and hosted 30 certified career and technical education (CTE) teachers from Buncombe County and Asheville City Schools at Soprana Rooftop to recognize their contributions to hospitality education. Five summer interns were selected from Asheville High School, Asheville School, Enka High School, and Carolina Day School. The March Concierge Working Group convened at Highland Brewing to connect frontline staff with meeting spaces, event venues, and the Business Development team.

Resident Support for Travel and Hospitality Reaches an All-Time High

Positive resident sentiment toward tourism continues to grow, with 95% of residents agreeing that tourism benefits their community—up from 88% last year. Eighty-one percent said tourism's benefits outweigh its challenges, and 83% said knowing visitors pay taxes that support the community makes them feel more positive about tourism.

In honor of National Travel and Tourism Week (May 3–9), Explore Asheville and the Authority invite you to celebrate travel’s essential role in driving our national and local economy, cultivating vibrant communities, and forging connections.

The third annual Explore Asheville Heroes of Hospitality Awards Luncheon, May 4, at the Omni Grove Park Inn recognizes individuals who provide excellent hospitality and customer service to visitors and residents in Asheville and Buncombe County. Forty-one frontline industry workers were nominated for this year's awards. Explore Asheville's Hospitality scholarship recipients will also be recognized at the award ceremony.

100% of ticket sales and sponsorships for this event benefit the Explore Asheville Workforce Development program.

Continue celebrating the local travel and hospitality industry with an exciting night of baseball as the Asheville Tourists face the Rome, Georgia Emperors at the newly renovated HomeTrust Field, at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, May 5!

Purchase your discounted $5 tickets online using the code EXPLORE. Group tickets of 10 or more can be purchased directly via Nicole Oosterling at 828-378-1037 or noosterling@theashevilletourists.com.

The McCormick Field Centennial Restoration & Capital Improvements Project and Travel & Hospitality Night are made possible in part by a nearly $23 million investment from the Major Works Pathway Tourism Product Development Fund (TPDF).

MORE INFORMATION & NEXT MEETING OF BCTDA

Find documents from the April 29 board meeting HERE >>

THE NEXT BCTDA BOARD MEETING
Wednesday, May 27 | 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