Did You Know…

$2 billion in the cash registers of local businesses: People who visit Buncombe County spend $2 billion annually at local businesses, many of those being small, independent operations that depend on tourism to survive and thrive – and on the sales and marketing programs of Buncombe County TDA to attract those customers.
$3.1 billion total economic impact: Local businesses purchase goods and services from more local businesses, for a total economic impact of $3.1 billion.
$199 million in taxes generated: People visiting Buncombe County generate $199 million in state and local taxes. That includes 31% of sales tax revenue and 19% of property tax revenue.
27,000 jobs: People visiting Buncombe County support 18,000 jobs at tourism-related businesses and 27,000 jobs in total – that’s 15% of the employment in Buncombe County.

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Performance Index

Each month the Explore Asheville CVB generates a statistical report of our output for the previous month. This tool provides a snapshot of the local tourism economy month-to-month. Click here to access these reports.

Economic Impact Information

In 2017, Buncombe County attracted 11.1 million visitors, including 3.9 million overnight guests. Visitors spent $2 billion, generating $3.1 billion in economic impact and supporting 27,000 jobs, as reported by esteemed research firm, Tourism Economics. Tourism is the third largest employer in the area, and a significant driver of the Asheville economy.

Download the report here.

Download the infographic flowchart here.

Fact Sheets

Buncombe County TDA Information Booklet (2020)
Tourism & the BCTDA: Fast Facts & FAQs (2020)
Overview & History of the BCTDA, with details on the Occupancy Tax (2020)
NC Guidelines for Occupancy Tax Legislation
Community Benefits of Tourism (2020)
Tourism Product Development Fund (TPDF) (2020)
Festivals & Cultural Events Support (2020)
BCTDA & Asheville Buncombe Regional Sports Commission (2020)
Tourism Builds Community Infographic (2020)

Sales & Marketing Plans

Media Plans

BCTDA Annual Reports

Research & Data

Glossary

ADR (Average Daily Rate): Room revenue divided by rooms sold, displayed as the average rental rate for a single room.
Contract Rooms: Contract rooms are occupied at rates stipulated by contracts – such as for airline crews and permanent guests. Room allotments that do not require guaranteed use or payment should not be classified as contract.
Demand (rooms sold): The number of rooms sold or rented (excludes complimentary rooms).
Group Rooms: Group rooms are sold simultaneously in blocks of a minimum of ten rooms or more (e.g. group tours, domestic and international groups, association, convention and corporate groups).
Occupancy: Rooms sold divided by rooms available multiplied by 100. Occupancy is always expressed as a percentage of rooms occupied.
Percent Change: Amount of growth – up, flat, or down – this period versus same period last year (month or year-to-date). Calculated as ((TY – LY) / LY) * 100.
Revenue (Room Revenue): Total room revenue generated from the sale or rental of rooms.
RevPAR (Revenue Per Available Room): Room revenue divided by rooms available.
Supply (Rooms Available): The number of rooms times the number of days in the period.
Transient Rooms: Transient rooms Include rooms occupied by those with reservations at rack, corporate, corporate negotiated, package, government, or foreign traveler rates.

Research & Reports