Explore Asheville and the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority Celebrate a Year of Rebounding and Propelling the Visitor Economy
The 2026 Annual Meeting debuted 2025 Tourism Economics data, celebrated visitor-powered community investments, and honored Governor Josh Stein and First Lady Anna Harris Stein with the William A.V. Cecil Tourism Leadership Award
Nearly 400 local travel and hospitality partners and community leaders gathered at the Renaissance Asheville Hotel Downtown for the 2026 Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority Annual Meeting on Oct. 1. Explore Asheville debuted the 2025 Economic Impact of Visitors to Asheville and Buncombe County, celebrated the 2026 Legacy Investment from Tourism (LIFT) Fund projects, the William A.V. Cecil Leadership Award recipients, and featured a keynote from Adam Sacks, founder and president of Tourism Economics.
The meeting opened with remarks from Buncombe County Commission Chair Amanda Edwards and City of Asheville Mayor Esther Manheimer.
Visitors Spent Nearly $2.6 Billion in Buncombe County in 2025
President & CEO of Explore Asheville and the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority Vic Isley debuted the 2025 economic impact of visitors to Asheville and Buncombe County, measured by Tourism Economics in partnership with Visit NC. Visitors to and within Buncombe County spent nearly $2.6 billion in 2025 and Buncombe County remains the third-largest visitor economy in North Carolina.
- The visitor economy generated more than $900 million in total personal income.
- Visitors supported more than 25,000 jobs in 2025, or one of every seven jobs in the county.
- Travel and hospitality generated $215 million in state and local taxes.
- Visitor-generated taxes save each Buncombe County household $2,145 in state and local taxes.
Keynote: The Outlook for the Economy & Travel
Adam Sacks, founder and president of Tourism Economics, an Oxford Economics company, shared his outlook on the national travel landscape and the continued recovery of Asheville and Buncombe County's visitor economy. Key takeaways included:
- Buncombe County continues to rebound in 2026.
- Inflation is weighing on consumer sentiment and savings, but not on spending.
- Wealth gains have solidified the finances of upper-income households.
- Job growth is expected to be modest.
- The appetite for travel remains sustainable across traveler segments and hotel chain scales, supporting both volume increases and pricing power.
- Explore Asheville plays an integral role in driving the destination's rebuild.
$11.2 Million in Visitor-Powered Community Investments
The day before the Annual Meeting, the authority approved more than $11 million for 10 community capital projects through the 2026 LIFT Fund, which is funded by lodging taxes paid by overnight guests. At the meeting, recipients received ceremonial checks from HP Patel, chair of the BCTDA; Himanshu Karvir, chair of the LIFT Fund committee; and Tiffany Thacker, VP of Partnership & Destination Management at Explore Asheville.
2026 LIFT Fund Recipients:
- Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce – $400,000 for Asheville Visitor Center upgrades
- Greater Asheville Regional Airport Authority – $500,000 for the Guest Services and Welcome Center
- Center for Craft – $1,752,846 for the Community Craft Library and Archives
- City of Asheville – $296,179 for the Biltmore Village Infrastructure Recovery Project and $721,120 for the Eagle and Market Street Enhancements
- North Carolina Arboretum Society – $2,400,000 for the Education and Events Plaza
- NC Stage Company – $22,700 for Facility Modernization
- River Arts District Artists (RADA) and RADA Foundation – $2,124,540 for the RAD Creative Campus
- Town of Black Mountain – $1,229,982 for the Black Mountain Golf Course Restoration Project
- Wortham Center for the Performing Arts – $1,739,146 for the Wortham Infrastructure Capital Project
The authority has stewarded the occupancy tax as a significant community investment partner, committing $119 million to 59 community capital projects through the Tourism Product Development Fund and LIFT Fund since 2001. Approximately 70% of all capital investment, more than $83 million, has gone toward improving municipally owned facilities and infrastructure.
Photo credit: the Office of Governor Josh Stein
William A.V. Cecil Tourism Leadership Award Honors Governor Josh Stein and First Lady Anna Harris Stein
Governor Josh Stein and First Lady Anna Harris Stein received the 27th annual William A.V. Cecil Tourism Leadership Award for their early and unwavering support of Asheville and Western North Carolina's travel and hospitality community following Hurricane Helene. Their clear and constant message that Asheville and the mountains of Western North Carolina are open for business helped inspire visitors to return, including through the "Rediscover the Unforgettable" campaign.
Drew Christy, Regional Recovery Coordinator for the Governor's Recovery Office for Western North Carolina (GROW NC), accepted the award on their behalf.
Established in 1999 as a tribute to the late William Amherst Vanderbilt Cecil, owner of The Biltmore Company and a champion of Biltmore's preservation, the award honors those who have made a significant contribution to travel and hospitality in Asheville and Buncombe County. Past recipients include Luke Combs and Eric Church for Concert for Carolina (2025), McKibbon Hospitality (2024) and Matthew Bacoate of Skyview Golf Association (2023).
Recognizing Board Leadership & Staff
Brenda Durden, COO of Asheville Hotel Group, was recognized for her service on the BCTDA board since 2020. She will continue her work with the authority on the LIFT Fund committee and received a custom Always Asheville piece by local artist Jenny Fares of Sound Mind Design.
The authority acknowledged new and reappointments from the past year. Lucious Wilson, part owner of Wedge Brewing, was reappointed by the City of Asheville to a second term. Dexter Hazel, general manager of The Restoration Hotel, was appointed by Buncombe County, and Kyle Highberg, vice president of hospitality for Biltmore Farms Hotels, was appointed by the City of Asheville.
Explore Asheville also recognized Carli Adams, group marketing manager, for 20 years with the organization.
FY26 Annual Report
The FY26 BCTDA Annual Report highlights Explore Asheville's major accomplishments from the past fiscal year.
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