Sharing is caring, as the old saying goes. But it is also proving to be a nifty way for start-up businesses to get a piece of Asheville’s economic pie — not to mention a source of consternation for city officials struggling to regulate the growing industry. In the wake of last October’s controversy over the […]
Tag: Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority
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(SATIRE) Xpressers’ almanac: Predictions for the coming year
2019 prediction: Town of Biltmore Forest will greatly expand its influence in county government by allowing trees to vote.
2018 in review: Top Buncombe tourism accomplishments, by Stephanie Pace Brown
Explore Asheville Convention and Visitors Bureau’s Stephanie Pace Brown makes her pitch for the area’s tourism industry’s top accomplishments of the past year.
Year in review: Evolving race relations in Asheville
Asheville has gotten whiter over the past two decades. The proportion of African-American residents in the city dropped from 17.6 percent in 2000 to 12.3 percent in 2016, a change city officials attribute to a combination of white influx and black exodus. For the people of color who remained in Asheville, 2018 proved a mixed bag.
Letter: Does Asheville’s Visitor Center reflect diversity?
“I recently walked around the whole area and found only one African-American face, and that was on one brochure, of what seemed like hundreds, for a county assistance agency. What does that say to a black resident or visitor?”
Asheville City Council explores new sales, food and beverage taxes
A quarter-cent sales tax on all purchases in Buncombe County would be earmarked for transit improvements, as required by state law, while a 1 percent tax on prepared foods and beverages bought in the city could be used as general funds. Both taxes would require approval by voter referendum, projected to take place in 2020.
Change of face: Attracting diverse visitors to a mostly white city
Local tourism operators are sensing a shift in the racial makeup of visitors to the Asheville area. Though the data don’t definitively support that conclusion — at least not yet — efforts to make Asheville a more welcoming and inclusive destination continue, as do fledgling initiatives to give minority tourism entrepreneurs a bigger piece of the industry’s pie.
News in brief: TDA grants, ACA open enrollment
The Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority announced its 2018 tourism product development funding grant awards, to the tune of nearly $10 million. Trained staff are standing by to assist with Affordable Care Act enrollment through Saturday, Dec. 15, and residents can learn more about plans to widen Sweeten Creek Road in South Asheville at a meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 13.
Hue and cry
ASHEVILLE, N.C.
Backyard to the old drawing board
ASHEVILLE, N.C.
BCTDA shares tourism growth plans at annual meeting
Roughly 1,600 new hotel rooms have opened in Buncombe County since late 2015 — an increase of approximately 15 percent over that period — with 1,900 still planned. “Since the start of this construction cycle, we’ve been able to fully absorb a pretty enormous supply,” said Explore Asheville President and CEO Stephanie Pace Brown. “We just need to do that over again in the next three or four years.”
Solving Asheville’s affordable housing crunch: The Gospel According to Jerry
“When local workers can’t find housing they can afford and our less fortunate population — including families with children — is one rent check away from living on the street, this predicament has reached critical mass.”
Letter: Visitors, Asheville welcomes (and depends on) you
“When you visit a honey-tasting shop, local record store or family farm, know that your support helps us to thrive and live our passions here in Asheville.”
NPR’s Bob Boilen headlines the Creative Sector Summit
The keynote address from the NPR host and panel discussions with local music industry representatives and advocates explore the arts’ economic impact on the Asheville area.
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.
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.
Economic engine trouble
Asheville, NC
2016 numbers reflect continuing strength in Buncombe County tourism industry
At the first annual Tourism Week Summit, the Asheville Convention and Visitors Bureau unveiled new statistics about the economic impact of tourism in Buncombe County in 2016.
TDA grapples with image problem
While reviewing recent results and planning for the coming year at its annual strategic planning retreat, the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority also grappled with its biggest challenge — convincing locals that the tourism industry is a positive force in the region.
Asheville Museum of Science celebrates new location with soft-opening reception
The Asheville Museum of Science held a soft opening from 10 a.m. until noon at its new location in the Wells Fargo building at 43 Patton Avenue. In addition to the opening reception, an official ceremony was held to celebrate a $400,000 grant awarded to the museum from the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority.
She’s the boss: Female business leaders provide examples for the future
As more women work toward leadership roles in the local workforce, female business leaders and local organizations are working to provide the encouragement and resources necessary to help them attain equity and advancement in the workplace. Sharing their wealth of experiences, these community leaders are hoping they can lay the groundwork for the next generation of successful women professionals.