Asheville Food and Beverage United seeks to interrupt “the abusive culture that just keeps being perpetuated,’” explains Jen Hampton, the union’s lead organizer. Her work in the service industry spanned over 30 years, with the last 16 in Asheville.
Tag: tourism
Showing 1-21 of 152 results
An Asheville ‘leaver’ checks in
“In fact, much of the ire now being aimed at the TDA — and tourism in general — merely echoes concerns about the tourism of a century ago, and the mismanagement and negligence of city government back then.”
Letter: We need a new plan, Asheville
“Our new interim police chief, Michael Lamb, City Manager Debra Campbell and the Council need to listen to a new plan so that Asheville can regain the national reputation it once had as the Eastern mountain destination.”
Letter: Trains, plazas and resilience
“It would be great to have a train system around Asheville — to and from the Asheville, Charlotte and Greenville airports going to destinations in and around Asheville — including some of the small towns nearby.”
Letter: Use TDA budget to offset tourism’s downsides
“I fully support the Tourism Development Authority budget being changed so that half of its current earnings serve to offset the negative impacts of tourism.”
Letter: Spend tourism tax money on infrastructure
“The proceeds from the tax (75% plus) should be going toward enhancing the infrastructure that the visitors and locals use.”
Letter: Cut tourism promotion and reallocate funds
“My vote would be to cut tourism promotional expenditures by 90% and reallocate those funds to improve infrastructure, deal with the homeless situation and lower the exorbitant residential property taxes.”
Letter: TDA should put money where it’s urgently needed
“Put your money where it’s needed: Give it to local organizations that do not have your resources that are already helping the desperate to get on their feet and off the streets; reduce the unhoused and underserved population; make a difference in the world; make Asheville a better place to visit; and your tourists will come.”
Tourism board approves over $6 million for three projects
The approved projects include upgrades to the Harrah’s Cherokee Center – Asheville and an outdoor covered equestrian arena for the WNC Agricultural Center as well as new turf, lighting and a playground for the Enka Recreation Destination.
Letter: What a tourism director’s salary tells us about priorities
“Now we understand that tourism is more important than education, jobs, roads, DEI, health care or absolutely anything else.”
Letter: Close the homeless floodgates
“The thought of being identified will send most of the homeless packing.”
Letter: Tourism revenue could support housing for officers
“If the Tourism Development Authority feels strongly enough about taking steps to reduce common street crime and other headline-grabbing crimes, perhaps using a portion of tourism revenue to subsidize the cost of local housing for officers would help.”
Letter: Asheville doesn’t understand tourism’s value
“Many local Ashevilleans complain about tourists because they don’t understand that the revenue they bring affects their daily lives in a positive way.”
Letter: Does tourism bureau have blinders on?
“I only read about one more hotel being built, but nothing to help the tourists and locals find parking. This is a tourist area, so make it tourist-friendly.”
Letter: Solutions needed for downtown homeless situation
“I feel like if this situation isn’t seriously addressed, it will have a long-term negative effect on Asheville and its many businesses that rely on tourism.”
Letter: Ask TDA to support homes for workers
“But we can directly help our county’s workers, the people who drive our tourism economy — and thus drive contributions to the TDA’s coffers — by asking the TDA to give some money back to build housing for such workers.”
Letter: How to pay for downtown remedies
“The Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority is sitting on millions of dollars in its coffers and should spend some of its money making downtown Asheville the tourism haven that it promises it is in all of its marketing efforts, but their promise is currently not delivered.”
Year in Review: Development and tourism remain hot topics
Community members weigh in on the impact of visitors and “progress” throughout 2022.
Letter: Dreaming small at McCormick Field
“I don’t want to get all Field of Dreams on people’s asses, but we need not even build anything new or flashy to get the people to come.”
Can Asheville draw on the past to build its future?
“Today, Asheville’s a tourist destination fueled by wealth-take-all capitalism beset with growing urban issues such as parking, pollution, land use, development, affordable housing, crime and allocation of tax revenues. Yet are all these intractable problems with only temporary solutions? Not really.”
Letter: Will leaf peepers visit WNC to see kudzu turn gray?
“What happens when our beautiful fall colors provided by the hardwood trees are increasingly overtaken and killed off by kudzu?”