Press release from the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority:
As travel and tourism professionals across the country celebrate National Travel and Tourism Week (May 6-12), the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority (BCTDA) rolls out its largest paid media campaign to date, an investment that will generate close to $250 million in local spending and an additional $23 million in sales tax revenue before the end of the year.
The recently launched $5.8 million spring advertising effort is the most substantial BCTDA campaign to date and includes a national cable buy on HGTV, The Weather Channel and Travel Channel. The entire program will deliver nearly $250 million in community return on investment, according to a recent ad-effectiveness study by market research company SMARI.
“For every advertising dollar we spend on tourism, $43 is returned in visitor spending in the Asheville area,” BCTDA Chair Jim Muth said. “These are dollars that support and sustain local business.”
When National Tourism Week was created 35 years ago, the visitor spend in Buncombe County was less than $200 million a year. Since that time, BCTDA’s investment has multiplied that impact nearly 10 times over, driving an economic infusion of $1.9 billion in annual direct spending at local businesses, in addition to a wealth of marketing and business support resources through Explore Asheville.
“Beyond growing the customer base for area businesses, BCTDA is also working to seed and support projects and events that activate and enhance local culture in this place that we love,” Explore Asheville CEO and President Stephanie Brown said. “From the creative sector to the climate sector, tourism is an agent for building community and moving the destination forward.”
In 2016, BCTDA developed an unrestricted revenue source using its web site advertising to provide operational support to events and encourage the creation of signature cultural festivals that add to the vibrancy and livability of the community.
To date, more than $115,000 dollars have been awarded to 29 local festivals, cultural events and symposiums. Recipients to date include Asheville Creative Sector Summit, NC Glass Center and the Summer of Glass, Asheville Downtown Association’s Urban Speaker Series, ASAP Farm Tours, ClimateCon 2018 and Connect: Beyond the Page.
Buncombe County’s longstanding community investment is evident through the Tourism Product Development Fund (TPDF), an occupancy-tax-granting mechanism that will contribute $50 million in community enhancements over the next 10 years.
Since the inception of the TPDF in 2001, BCTDA has awarded $34.5 million to 33 community tourism projects. The amount includes more than $22 million provided to City of Asheville-owned projects, which accounts for more than half of all funding.
Established by legislation in 1983, the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority is a quasi-governmental entity charged with marketing Buncombe County as a tourism destination and administering its tourism product development fund. Explore Asheville works under the oversight of BCTDA to execute an extensive strategic marketing and sales program that inspires visitation and group meetings/travel while showcasing and offering free marketing services to 1,200 businesses that rely on visitors.
The Asheville area welcomes 3.8 million overnight guests each year, providing a customer base that assists in the sustainability of businesses in the community and contributes to tax revenues. Annually, tourism generates $2.9 billion in economic impact to the region, supporting 26,700 jobs and generating $202.5 million in state and local taxes.
Nationally, tourism generates $2.4 trillion in economic output and supports 15.6 million jobs across the U.S.
To see who is counting on tourism in Buncombe County, visit AshevilleCVB.com/Tourism-Builds-Community.
Before you comment
The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.