Change is a’comin for Buncombe’s booming tourism industry. Under the leadership of its new CEO Vic Isley, the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority (BCTDA) has announced its plans to chart a new course for the future of tourism that is more aligned with broader community goals.
The plans come in the form of 4 strategic pillars that aim to center:
- Balanced and sustainable growth
- Safe and responsible travel
- More diverse marketing efforts
- Promotion and support of Asheville’s creative spirit.
In order to delve more into each pillar, the BCTDA is hosting a 4-part webinar series of conversations among community leaders about the challenges + opportunities facing the local tourism industry.
The series, which is free and open to the public, kicked off with events on May 10 and May 12, and will have 2 more webinars on Mon., May 17 and Wed., May 19 from 12-1:15 p.m. Check out the deets below to learn more about the 4 pillars, the event panelists + what’s been discussed thus far.
Talk #1 - May 10: Deliver Balanced Recovery & Sustainable Growth
- The focus: Help the economy recover from COVID-19 with sustainable growth strategies, while also working to reduce congestion + more evenly disperse the number of tourists per season. For more, check out this recording.
- Panelists: Nancy J. Cable, Debra D. Campbell, Avril Pinder, Kit Cramer
Talk #2 - May 12: Encourage Safe & Responsible Travel
- The focus: Reduce the environmental impact of tourism on our community + make eco-friendly practices easy for visitors. For more, check out this **recording.**
- Panelists: Amy Allison, Dawn Chavez, Terri Wells, Peyton O’Connor
Talk #3 - May 17: Engage & Invite More Diverse Audiences
- The focus: Extend a genuine invitation to a more diverse audience of travelers, especially from the Black, Latino and LGBTQ+ communities. To attend, register here.
- Panelists: Aisha Adams, Adriana Chavela, Himanshu Karvir, Catherine P. Mitchell, Anthony Thomas, Tina White
Talk #4 - May 19: Promote & Support Asheville’s Creative Spirit
- The focus: How to gather community input on Asheville’s brand + support the local creative spirit. To attend, register here.
- Panelists: Franzi Charen, Katie Cornell, Cleaster Cotton, Jessica Tomasin, Lucious Wilson
