TDA board hears update on quarterly goals and initiative­s

The Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority board heard a quarterly progress report from Explore Asheville, the TDA’s marketing agency, regarding the authority’s strategic goals and initiatives at its Jan. 24 meeting. Highlights included the launch of a new Asheville-focused destination app, the upcoming redesign of the Explore Asheville website and the unveiling of the Asheville Black Cultural Heritage Trail, which was funded by a $500,000 Tourism Product Development Fund investment in 2018.

Short-term rental listening session yields conflictin­g views

The proposed regulations would ban future short-term rentals, both whole-house and rentals within the owner’s primary residence, in unincorporated parts of Buncombe County unless they were located within commercial zones or in an open-use district, among other changes. Existing short-term rentals would not be impacted by the changes.

TDA approves McCormick Field improvemen­t project investment by narrow vote

It took two tries for the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority to approve spending nearly $23 million over 20 years for Asheville’s McCormick Field Centennial Restoration & Capital Improvements Project at its July 26 meeting. The motion to fund the project failed 6-2 on the first vote and passed 7-1 after the board voted again 25 minutes later.

Asheville city seal

Council to hear update on TDA takeover of Sports Commission

A study commissioned for the TDA by the Huddle Up Group, a Phoenix-based sports consulting firm, recommends consolidating the sports commission into the tourism body. The TDA already funds the bulk of the commission’s work, at roughly $230,000 per year. (The city of Asheville and Buncombe County each pitch in about $45,000 annually, while UNC Asheville offers its facilities as in-kind contributions.)