UPDATE JUNE 1, 2020: With Buncombe County now in Phase 2 of Governor Cooper’s Reopening Plan, many of these questions and answers are now outdated or no longer relevant. If you have COVID-19 related questions please contact us and we will be happy to address them.
At a time when the world has turned upside down, there are countless unanswered questions. When will the crisis be over? What will the new normal be? When will businesses be allowed to reopen? How will businesses survive? When will people be able to work again?
While we can’t promise answers to those looming concerns, we do have answers to other frequently asked questions. Find links to some of those below. We will continue to update these pages as more questions arise.
FAQs: COVID-19 & the Buncombe County Tourism Jobs Recovery Fund
- How did the Buncombe County Tourism Jobs Recovery Fund come about?
- How does the Buncombe County Tourism Jobs Recovery Fund work?
- Who is eligible to receive funding?
- Why aren’t lodging properties eligible for funding? Many are small businesses like bed and breakfast inns.
- When can tourism-related businesses apply for funding?
- How will applications be evaluated?
- Does this mean that the Tourism Product Development Fund will not be able to fund the projects that have been committed?
- Why couldn’t more of the occupancy tax be used for this recovery fund?
- Where can I get more information on the Buncombe County Tourism Jobs Recovery Fund?
FAQs: COVID-19 & Explore Asheville’s Immediate Response
- Is Explore Asheville still marketing to tourists?
- How is Explore Asheville supporting industry partners & the general community?
FAQs: The Buncombe County Occupancy Tax & COVID-19 Relief
- Can the Buncombe County TDA use occupancy tax revenue to provide relief to our community from the impacts of COVID-19?
- What would happen if the Buncombe County TDA ignored the rules around using the tax for a different reason?
- Given the COVID-19 crisis, can the governor of North Carolina redirect occupancy tax money toward relief?
- Can the TDA push for changes in the occupancy tax legislation?
- What are the Asheville Buncombe Hotel Association’s proposed changes to the existing occupancy tax legislation?
FAQs: COVID-19 & the Lodging Community
- Are hotels and other lodging operations still serving guests?
- Can hotels house people who are homeless?
- Can hotels house people who need to be quarantined or isolated?
- How is the lodging community helping during the COVID-19 crisis?
- How is Explore Asheville helped the lodging community during the crisis?
FAQs: The One Buncombe Fund for COVID-19 Relief
- What is the One Buncombe Fund?
- If the TDA can’t contribute to COVID-19 relief, how was it able to donate to the One Buncombe Fund?