The images from Western North Carolina as it rode out Hurricane Helene were jarring, with epic floods and major roadways—including the iconic Blue Ridge Parkway—washed away, leaving ever-capable locals to heroically help one another weather the storm.
The region’s major tourism and meetings destination, Asheville, suffered the brunt of the catastrophic cyclone, taking the charming mountain town off the tourism map in its immediate aftermath.
Flash forward to nearly a year later and this quaint, historic enclave known for its mountain music, craft beer and arts scene is firmly back in business and ready to welcome visitors of every stripe with its signature brand of inclusive hospitality.
“The Asheville area has made tremendous progress following Helene and we’re almost at the one-year milestone. We have 2,000 business partners at Explore Asheville and 90% of them are open and operational, and we have more that are planned to open in September and October,” said Victoria “Vic” Isley, president and CEO of Explore Asheville, in a September interview with Meetings Today. “From a meetings infrastructure standpoint, everything in Asheville is golden and we have a brand-new airport terminal, so air access is great and is expected to be at record capacity by October.”
Asheville Regional Airport offers service from more than 20 destinations and major daily connections from Charlotte and Atlanta. The destination is also less than a two-hour drive from Charlotte International Airport.
[Related: Explore Asheville Names New Vice President of Business Development]
Asheville’s major meetings and tourism draws are back in business, including Biltmore Village and its hotels, Omni Grove Park Inn and the essentially brand-new Grand Bohemian Lodge, along with local favorites such as Corner Kitchen and French Broad River Brewing—one of the many craft brewery standouts in the city’s nationally recognized beer scene.
“When visitors come to Asheville and Buncombe County, they spend almost as much in food and beverage as they do in lodging,” Isley said. “It’s great news to share that almost all of that is fully functional and operational.”
The city’s popular River Arts District, which took a significant hit from Helene, is also up and running again, with its galleries, restaurants—and breweries—tapping kegs for thirsty customers once again.
“There are lots of locals and craft beer fans that are toasting that reopening,” Isley offered.
Grateful for Industry Support
Isley said she and her colleagues in the Asheville meetings and events community have been heartened by the industry support they’ve received.
“One of the things that has been amazing coming out of this is that the meeting professional community across the country has really answered the call from our business development team,” she said. “We have booked more conferences and events in the last year than we have in the history of our organization— nearly 480 conferences and events, more than $67 million in direct spending—and they’re from groups like the Home Depot, Southern States, the American Folklore Society; really great, values-aligned organizations that are choosing to come to Asheville for their conferences and events.”
Isley said Asheville’s typical client base is drawn from Southeast regional associations, but it is growing further afield into the Midwest and Northeast. Automotive industry groups typically buy out properties en masse, no doubt drawn by the epic driving experience offered by the Blue Ridge Parkway, one of the most iconic drives in the world. Given Asheville’s prodigious nature offerings, outdoor clothing companies are also a prime client.
[Related: Discover How Meeting Groups Can Give Back When Convening in North Carolina's Piedmont]
“We’ve also been growing in sports,” she added. “We just announced the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletes 2026 and 2027 men’s and women’s Outdoor Track & Field National Championships at UNC Asheville. And the governor of North Carolina for 60 years has held the North Carolina Awards; for the first time in 60 years, they’re holding it here in Asheville instead of Raleigh. Those have been really great shots in the arm, and votes of confidence for bringing groups here.”
Isley suggested planners should consider coming to Asheville during its fall and spring shoulder seasons, with spring being an especially pleasant time. And even though it’s in the mountains, Asheville’s location in a valley means that winter typically doesn’t bring much snow.
