ASHEVILLE, N.C.
Tag: Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority
Showing 85-105 of 158 results
TDA increases ad budget by $1M
As presidential hopefuls blitz the airwaves over the coming months to hook undecided voters, the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority will be stepping up its own campaign. The authority’s board voted to increase its spring and summer advertising budget by $1 million, for a total of $12.65 million, during a Jan. 29 meeting. “We considered […]
City proposes $100M makeover for Thomas Wolfe Auditorium
“Other than a new roof, the exterior shell and a few walls here and there, we’re looking at a brand-new facility,” said Chris Corl, general manager of Harrah’s Cherokee Center — Asheville, as he displayed concepts for the auditorium developed by the Nashville-based Earl Swensson Associates. He described the plan as “not a renovation, but a transformation.”
Letter: The elephants in the room
“Sounds like Asheville/Buncombe struggles with the TDA and HCA. Unsolved city problems spread to regions.”
Letter: TDA needs to listen to concerns
“This kind of denial of how tourism has negatively impacted people who live here will only infuriate them more.”
On the beat: City government reporter Brooke Randle reflects on 2019
Brooke Randle’s reporting in 2019 took her from boardrooms to living rooms and everywhere in between, as she sought to uncover the issues, people and happenings that shape our city. Here’s a look back over her exciting first year with Xpress.
Letter: Sheriff has work to do on jail conditions
“Thanks for the best issue in years on Nov. 27, featuring the hateful TDA and neighborhood fascists, corruption, suppression of public comment, but most of all, hunger and cold in the Buncombe jail.”
Letter: Hotels, businesses must examine how they treat local workers
“The people of Asheville have had enough of being exploited, and it is time to abolish the Buncombe County TDA.”
On the defensive: TDA board members react to criticism
“In my opinion, there are no problems with the TDA. The problems lie elsewhere,” said Vice Chair Himanshu Karvir during the tourism authority’s Nov. 20 meeting. “The problem lies with individuals that have nothing to do with our industry and have no idea how hotels operate, how the TDA operates and what the occupancy tax does for our community.”
Community Growth
ASHEVILLE, N.C.
Transylvania County Tourism funds environmental conservation
In 2017, the county’s tourism board launched the Transylvania Always initiative, which has since invested thousands of occupancy tax dollars into everything from hiking trail restoration to French Broad River cleanup. “I really don’t know of anywhere else, particularly anywhere else of our small size, that is doing anything similar,” says Clark Lovelace, the TCT’s executive director.
TDA approves $100,000 for Chow Chow festival
Last year, the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority contributed $75,000 to Chow Chow through its event development incubator fund. Planning is underway for the festival’s second year, which has a projected budget of $700,000. The event is tentatively scheduled for Thursday-Sunday, Sept. 10-13, with final dates to be confirmed in November.
Residents weigh tourism positives, negatives in new survey
A survey released from the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority reveals a mixture of attitudes concerning tourism from residents.
News briefs: Tourism input shared, Filipino American history celebrated
The results of a months-long public input process to gauge perceptions of the tourism industry on Buncombe County will be shared at a free event on Wednesday, Oct. 23. Southern Appalachians Highlands Conservancy announced it has protected 139 acres in the Beaverdam watershed in Haywood County, and the Better Buses Together campaign is urging local residents to advocate for increased transit funding.
Futurist charts course for Asheville and Buncombe County
As she wrapped up her work on the AVL Greater and AVL 5×5 2025 plans in late September, we chatted with futurist Rebecca Ryan about her upcoming encore keynote address at the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce’s WomanUP gala on Thursday, Nov. 18, what makes Asheville and Buncombe County different and how we’ll know if the area is on track to make good on the new strategies.
Asheville Regional Airport plans for future growth
Last year, AVL hosted over 1.13 million passengers, an 18.6% jump from 2017’s total and over 67% more travelers than used the airport five years prior. Tina Kinsey, the Greater Asheville Regional Airport Authority’s director of marketing, public relations and air service development, says the airport is now striving to manage its expansion and ensure its long-term path maintains a steady cruising altitude.
Council members say no to new hotels for one year
Asheville City Council voted to halt hotel approvals for one year and will use the time to examine the impact of hotels on the community and develop new guidelines for hotel approval.
Ad it Up!
ASHEVILLE, N.C.
BCTDA casts wider net with new advertising plan
The target audience for a new $11.5 million marketing campaign developed by Atlanta-based ad agency 360i includes 20 million more people than were reached by last year’s advertising for Asheville. New cities where ads will be shown include New York, Chicago, Birmingham and Columbus, Ohio.
TDA updates county on long-term planning
“We recognize that the impacts of tourism are creating some experiences in our community that residents don’t like, and there are feelings that we’re being overwhelmed by tourism,” said Stephanie Brown, president and CEO of the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority, in a Sept. 3 presentation to the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners.
Panel discussion reveals emerging leadership dynamics
Leadership Asheville pulled in some high-octane local speakers for the final installment of its summer Buzz Breakfast series held on Aug. 14. The composition of the panel reveals some key trends shaping the power dynamic that’s emerged over the past year.