Western North Carolina business leaders evaluate fall tourism as region recovers

Hurricane Helene's devastation to western North Carolina came at the end of September, which also marks the beginning of the fall tourism season throughout the region. 

Travel and hospitality generate around $3 billion yearly in revenue flocally, Explore Asheville CEO Victoria Isley said in an email. Isley said October revenues sustain many of Asheville's businesses and residents through to the spring.

“This storm couldn’t have come at a worse time for our community,” she said.

While travel doesn't seem possible right now, Isley said recovery efforts are underway, and when the time is right, Asheville will fully welcome back tourists. Currently, the entire North Carolina stretch of the Blue Ridge Parkway is closed. 

“Our comeback is going to come in stages,” Isley said. 

At Tweetsie Railroad in Blowing Rock, President Chris Robbins wrote in a statement to The Daily Tar Heel  there is a focus on recovery for the park and the surrounding community. The park has plans to reopen on Nov. 29 for Tweetsie Christmas, he said.

“Fall attracts many visitors for outdoor activities, ‘leaf looking’ and local attractions like Tweetsie Railroad,” Robbins wrote. “The storm has impacted key areas like lodging, shopping, and sightseeing, which has led to fewer visitors and revenue losses for many businesses that rely on tourism.”

Robbins said some suggest delaying travel to western N.C. due to limited services, road closures and infrastructure challenges, while others encourage travel to stimulate the local economy and support recovering businesses.

“Regardless of when people visit, it's important to be mindful of ongoing recovery efforts, especially in northern and western Watauga County, and to show patience and understanding during this time,” Robbins said.

He also said increased traffic and visitors may divert resources from ongoing recovery efforts and place additional pressure on businesses that are not yet fully operational. 

Some N.C. state parks were hit hard by the storm and will be closed for a few months, Kris Anne Bonifacio, the public information officer for the N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation, said. The main entrance bridge to Chimney Rock was completely destroyed, she said. 

“We're very much aware that for a lot of our state parks, the rural communities, the local economy, [they] definitely revolve around the visitation and people coming to those parks,” Bonifacio said.  “So it was a difficult decision to close everything west of I-77 through October.”

But, the first priority, Bonifacio said, is people's safety.

“We need commerce flowing to help sustain our resident population and neighborhoods where it's safe to do so,” Isley said. “We need commerce to help bring back the vibrancy of this creative community.”

The Federal Emergency Management Agency said that 40 percent of small businesses do not reopen after a disaster. The Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority and the Town of Asheville have been working towards recovery, putting together unique ways for people outside of Asheville to sustain local businesses, Isley said. 

This includes the new Love Asheville from Afar site where people can purchase from local Asheville retail stores, buy gift cards and make donations to businesses and nonprofits.

Local Asheville artist Angela Alexander lost artwork she had at the Marquee, an art gallery in the River Arts District of Asheville. While her main studio was not flooded, there are other artists who lost everything, and tensions are high, she wrote in an email.

“My studio was not destroyed however [the hurricane] will greatly impact my business as we won’t have tourists for a while,” Alexander said. 

Explore Asheville has also created an emergency grant program called the Always Asheville Fund to support independent travel and hospitality businesses across Buncombe County. 

People seeking to visit the area need to first research reliable sources, such as a map on Visit N.C. that shows counties you can and cannot visit, Bonifacio said. She said many hotels and other lodging have also been reserved for first responders.

“People have been drawn to the mountains of western North Carolina for generations. It especially hurts to have the impacts of Helene shutting us off for the time being,” Isley said. “We are heartened by the grit, gumption and resolve of our Appalachian spirit shining through.”

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