ASHEVILLE, NC
Growing Asheville’s tourism industry
Qualitative findings, paired with broader, quantitative surveys, support Explore Asheville’s ongoing quest to better understand its expanding roster of target markets. Because while Asheville’s total visitation numbers continue to rise, so do those of other destinations that are competing for the same tourist dollars.
WNC experts discuss sustainability of outdoor recreation
As people flock to Western North Carolina to take advantage of the region’s abundant outdoor recreational opportunities, they also bring a human impact to wild places.
Power to the people: Best of WNC 2018 voting begins
With a far out feeling, voting has begun for the beloved annual Best of WNC awards. Only you can decide who’ll be feelin’ it in the new summer of love, when winners are announced this August. You have until 11:59 p.m. on the night of Saturday, April 28 to complete your ballot and make sure your voice is heard. […]
Summer camps help kids come into their own
Summer camps offer children and teens opportunities to learn new skills and discover new aspects of themselves. While many area camps say they hew to traditional camp activities like campfires, archery, swimming and horseback riding, other programs are re-envisioning their offerings to appeal to a new digital generation of campers.
Groups dynamic: WNC cooking schools turn up the heat with culinary team-building experiences
Many area cooking schools now offer programming that caters to meeting planners and organizations looking for an outside-the-box option for team building.
Future transit efforts, concerns mirror Asheville’s past
Asheville as we know it today was built upon the back of its electric streetcar system, one of the largest networks of its time. As the city finds itself in a growth spurt once again, could its defunct trolley system provide some clues to Asheville’s transit future?
No vacant see
Asheville, N.C.
Neighborhood battles against business intrusion
Homeowners on Vermont Avenue in West Asheville see their neighborhood as a quiet, special residential pocket of the city — and they intend to keep it that way. Residents implored the Planning and Zoning Commission to stop a property owner from opening an art gallery in a house on the street. That issued tied into a discussion of short-term rentals and whether Asheville wants tourists “in every nook and cranny.”
The season of the hitch
Asheville, N.C.
Purveyors of horror create haunting experiences
Estimates place the number of haunted house attractions in the United States in the thousands. Xpress caught up with some of the local haunts to get a behind the scenes look at the industry.
WNC residents, officials gather to discuss railroads’ future
Community and business representatives from across the rail industry gathered in Asheville on Sept. 22 for the Railroads & Regional Economic Development Conference. Organized by the WNC Rail Committee, the conference revealed some hints of how railroads may adapt to changing times.
Traffic pattern
Asheville, N.C.
How to not die in the Smokies
When you think about the Great Smoky Mountains, your thoughts might not immediately jump to death and destruction. But that is exactly what adventure travel writer David Brill of Morgan County, Tenn., dives into with his new book, “Into the Mist: Tales of Death and Disaster, Mishaps and Misdeeds, Misfortune and Mayhem in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.”
Cycle through seasonal splendor in WNC
Autumn cycling events in the region feature options for all experience levels and highlight the gorgeous landscape while raising money for nonprofits.
Explore Asheville CVB celebrates new office, brand & independence
The dreary Wednesday morning weather couldn’t put a damper on a 1 p.m. reception celebrating the new office location of the recently-rebranded Explore Asheville Convention & Visitors Bureau.
Monumental change
Asheville, N.C.
Local agencies work to improve water quality in Buncombe & Madison counties
This week, Xpress looks at the network of agencies and organizations working in Buncombe and Madison counties to improve water quality and position the French Broad as the region’s next great tourist attraction.
Total eclipse of the park
Asheville, N.C.
Communities along Upper French Broad work to restore water quality
In this two-part series, Xpress invites you on a guided a trip down the river as we examine the work of various communities to write the next chapter in the French Broad’s history, beginning with Transylvania and Henderson counties.
Van life: What happens when the road leads to Asheville?
Rising housing costs, a longing for travel, the opportunity to leverage technology to work remotely: It’s not any one trend alone that’s driving a resurgence of interest in life on the road. Our correspondent looks at the van life phenomenon through the lens of its connections to Asheville and Western North Carolina.