In its September 27 meeting the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority (BCTDA) voted to provide $51,500 in grants to support 13 community festivals and events. Utilizing discretionary advertising revenue from the ExploreAsheville.com website, BCTDA developed a Festivals and Cultural Events Support Fund in early 2016. The grant program, now in its second year, is a mechanism to foster festivals and cultural events that serve Buncombe County residents as well as visitors to the area. The primary purposes of this fund are: • To support and preserve cultural identity within Buncombe County • To stimulate the creation of new or expansion of existing tourism Events • To help events grow With the redesign of...

The BCTDA voted unanimously to support the Town of Woodfin and Buncombe County government with a $2.25 million TPDF award at its June board meeting. The Woodfin Greenway & Blueway project is a $13.9 million recreation infrastructure project that will add five miles of new greenway trails, the new Silverline Park on the French Broad River, and the in-stream Whitewater Wave feature along with other park updates and improvements.

The Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority (BCTDA) announced details of its 2018 Event Fund grant program. The grant program, launched in 2016, provides financial support for festivals and cultural events that serve Buncombe County residents as well as visitors to the area. Applications for 2018 festivals and cultural events are due on Thursday, August 31, 2017; grants will be announced, Thursday, September 28, 2017.

“Tourism is a lifeblood of revenue for this community,” Asheville Convention & Visitors Bureau Executive (ACVB) Director Stephanie Brown noted, addressing the audience of attendees at a tourism summit on Friday. “Visitors spend almost $2 billion a year at businesses just like yours – hundreds of family owned local businesses serving customers every day, providing income for employees that totals $810 million of personal income for people living in Buncombe County.”

SPECIAL ALERT: VENUE CHANGE - TOURISM SUMMIT MOVED TO THE OMNI GROVE PARK INN The Renaissance had a water main break last night and they are unable to host the National Tourism Week Summit today. The Omni Grove Park Inn will host the event, starting at 12:30 as scheduled. We appreciate the extraordinary efforts of the Renaissance and Omni Grove Park Inn to change the venue and present the program as planned. Please join us for this celebration of our industry in recognition of National Tourism Week. WHERE: OMNI GROVE PARK INN Sammons Wing | Heritage Ballroom 290 Macon Avenue, Asheville SELF-PARKING IS COMPLIMENTARY WHEN: As scheduled. Registration at noon. Program begins at 12:30 See you soon!    ...

January 11, 2017 – Lewis Real Estate and the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority (BCTDA) announced plans for the relocation of the Asheville Convention & Visitors Bureau (ACVB) to the Asheville Office Park at College Street and Town Mountain Road. Previously the home to Shaw University and located adjacent to the soon-to-be built Element Hotel, the two-story building at 31 College Place will be gutted and re-designed over the next six months to create inviting, open space that reflects the region’s destination brand. ACVB will become the anchor tenant and a significant part of the ongoing revitalization of the eastern gateway to the central business district. “The building will be a centerpiece...