Strategic Imperatives
The Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority has adopted strategic imperatives that are informing and guiding the direction of Explore Asheville’s program of work and community investments going forward. Each month the Explore Asheville CVB generates a report on progress made toward these strategic imperatives. Access these reports here >>.
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. Access these reports here >>
Economic Impact Information
Visitors significantly contribute to the Asheville economy. In 2021, visitors spent $2.6 billion, according to preliminary research received in July 2022 from Longwoods International and Tourism Economics.
The benefits of visitor spending are distributed across many business categories. Although the occupancy tax shoulders 100% of the destination marketing investment for our community, lodging partners in 2021 garnered just under a third of the visitor spending at 31%. Restaurants and breweries, local shops, recreation, entertainment and tour providers and transportation companies reaped 69% – the lion’s share of visitor spending rewards.
Watch this space for more information on the full 2021 Economic Impact Report.
Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority Annual Reports
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 10 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 & Data
- 2022 Explore Asheville Resident Study on Tourism
- 2021 Economic Impact of Visitors in Asheville*
- 2019 Economic Impact of Visitors in Asheville
- 2019 Explore Asheville Resident Sentiment Survey
- 2019 Asheville Visitor Profile Report
- 2016 Advertising Effectiveness & ROI Executive Summary
- 2016 Asheville Visitor Profile
- 2016 Portrait of an American Traveler
- 2014 Asheville Visitor Profile Report
- 2012-2014 Buncombe County Visitor Profile
* Explore Asheville commissions economic impact studies every two years. The calendar year 2021 study will be available later in 2022.