Grants of $55,000–$910,000 to minority-owned and women-owned businesses affected by Hurricane Helene. Must have been operational for at least one year before Helene. Apply here.

Grants for independent retailers impacted by natural disasters, with award amounts based on 2023–2024 revenue loss comparisons. Priority given to businesses with documented losses and strong recovery plans. Apply here.

Grants of $5,000–$10,000 for organizations/volunteer groups repairing recreation sites impacted by the storm. Open to businesses, nonprofits, and units of government. Applications close April 2. Apply here.

The State of North Carolina and the City of Asheville recently released action plans addressing the unmet needs of Western North Carolina for housing, infrastructure, and economic revitalization in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. $1.4 billion will be available to impacted Western North Carolina counties from the NC Department of Commerce, and an additional $225 million has been explicitly allocated to the City of Asheville through U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD)’s Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) program. Each set of funds requires its own action plan, and each entity seeks your feedback on its funding recommendations.

We’re excited to share marketing assets for Ready & Blooming—a messaging campaign marking six months of progress since Hurricane Helene and recognizing the Asheville area’s resilience. Half a year after the storm, our community continues its determination to move forward. The journey has looked different for everyone, but each step forward is worth recognizing. Now, as the seasons begin to change, we’re inviting guests to be part of what’s next—to see the progress, support local businesses, and experience the Asheville area’s energy in full bloom.

Toolkit Assets

Here are three ways your business can participate in the Ready & Blooming campaign:

1. Share Your Progress: Showcase your business's recovery and growth with a Then/Now social media carousel

2. Share "Ready and Blooming" Campaign Assets: Use the Ready & Blooming social carousel template to highlight Asheville's reopening and your business's place within it

3. Share Progress Stats: Use this social carousel template of Progress Stats to share recovery milestones

Post any or all of these assets on our social channels and tag @VisitAsheville and add the hashtags #ReadyandBlooming, #BePartoftheComeback, and #VisitAsheville — we'll reshare and add it to our campaign highlight!

The Official 2025 Asheville Visitor Guide is on its way! While Hurricane Helene caused some delays, we’re excited to deliver a guide that’s worth the wait. This year’s edition is packed with local voices, curated experiences, and seamless ways for visitors to plan their trip—with quicker calls to visit ExploreAsheville.com, making it easier than ever to turn inspiration into action.

Make sure your business is stocked and ready! Guides will be available the first week of April—order now to ensure you have them on hand for your guests and customers.

Asheville’s iconic AVL Beer Week returns May 15–29 for its 14th year, featuring a new city proclamation from Asheville Mayor Esther Manheimer. This celebration of Asheville’s dynamic craft beverage scene is an excellent opportunity to showcase your brand and connect with craft beer lovers! Whether you're a brewery, hotel, restaurant, bar, retailer, or local business, there are plenty of ways to participate:

✅ Host an Event — beer dinners, tap takeovers, collabs, and more!

✅ Offer a Special — exclusive beer releases, pairings, or discounts

✅ Sponsor & Partner — gain visibility by supporting Asheville's biggest beer celebration

✅ Volunteer & Support — help make AVL Beer Week a success while connecting with the beer community

Don't miss this opportunity to engage with beer enthusiasts and boost your business! To get involved, email Asheville Brewers Alliance (KarisRoberts.ABA@gmail.com). 

In celebration of National Travel and Tourism Week (May 4–10), Explore Asheville and the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority are now accepting nominations for the 2nd Annual Heroes of Hospitality Awards. This year’s awards hold special meaning as we recognize service employees/volunteers who maintained exceptional hospitality amid the unprecedented challenges of Hurricane Helene.

Nominees must be non-managerial service employees or volunteers who:

• Have direct contact with or provide support/entertainment to visitors and customers
• Serve as outstanding ambassadors of Asheville and Buncombe County
• Demonstrated exceptional resilience during our community's recovery journey

Know someone who goes above and beyond? Nominate your hero by April 11 at 5 p.m.

Students pursuing hospitality-related studies can receive up to $2,500 annually for four years at any North Carolina post-secondary institution through the new Explore Asheville Hospitality Scholarship. This program aims to support the development, recruitment, and retention of the hospitality workforce in Buncombe County.

• Application deadline: April 7 at 5 p.m.
• Award notifications: April 14
• Eligibility: Minimum 2.5 GPA, 16+ years old, must be either a Buncombe County high school senior or a Buncombe County resident enrolled in a North Carolina higher education institution

For more information, click here. Questions? Email scholarship@exploreasheville.com.

As our community continues down the road of recovery, trail maintenance crews and volunteers are making steady progress in reopening hiking trails throughout our region. Explore Asheville has updated the status of all 44 hiking trails on our website here.

We encourage you to share this resource with your visitors to help them enjoy our natural areas safely and responsibly. If you have updates on trail reopenings or other trail news not reflected in our guide, please email news@exploreasheville.com.

Last week, we convened 200+ partners at Highland Brewing to celebrate travel and hospitality frontline workers and to complement Stu Helm’s inaugural WNC Pizza Week! Thank you to those who joined us for a fun afternoon celebrating the travel, tourism, and hospitality workers who deliver spectacular experiences and service to customers daily. We appreciate you!