ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — Following Tropical Storm Helene, Asheville has struggled to regain its reputation as a premiere tourist destination. Last month, downtown was even depicted as a “no-go zone” in Fox News.
Read local responses to the “no-go zone” label in our story here.
Nonetheless, tourists have kept coming. 828newsNOW asked a few visitors what inspired their visits to the Land of the Sky.
What do tourists see in Asheville?
Tammi Wear, a tourist from the Gatlinburg, Tennessee area, was staying at a downtown hotel with her two adult daughters on Monday, May 18. This week marked her first ever trip to Asheville.
Wear said that her daughter selected Asheville as a “girls getaway” because of its close proximity to Gatlinburg and its reputation as a town rooted in history and craft tradition. Among their itinerary items, the trio had planned visits to the Biltmore Estate and stops at local breweries.
Their primary goal, however, was to track down a glass-blowing artist.
“I want to go to the museums, and then go see the glass-blowing,” said one of Wear’s daughters, Jamie Carrion. “We’re going to go and walk and see what we come across.”
“I want to buy local,” Wear emphasized. “From a craftsman locally.”
“That’s one reason why you come to places like this, to buy local,” Carrion agreed. “Even back at home, we try to find local restaurants, because everything’s such big chains now. We want local. What all the locals will go to.”
Speaking of locals, Wear said Ashevillians she had met made an immediate impression on her.
“The people have been outrageously friendly. Strange, at times,” Wear mused. “I mean, I come from Gatlinburg area, Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, and we’re used to tourists and politeness, but, uh, yeah, they’re different here. Your locals seem to each have their own personal style, and it’s coming from all over the world.”
Wear also said she was struck by the number of unhoused people she encountered downtown, particularly around Pritchard Park.
“You do have a lot of homeless, walking around with all their belongings,” Wear said. “But, I spoke with a couple, and they get fed regularly here. The city really takes care of them. They talked about that, which surprised me.”
Joel and Susan Korn, a couple from Washington, D.C., were visiting Asheville for a few days to meet up with their California-based son, who was attending a wedding in Tennessee.
The Korns said that while they had heard of the devastation dealt to the area after Helene, they were not aware of the “no-go zone” reputation of the city.
“I guess I knew of it as a place that attracts people who retire, as an arts community, and then, I think most recently, it was in the news because of the terrible flooding,” Joel Korn said.
“I just think it seems to be one of these charmed places with a vibrant arts, music, theater community and spectacular natural beauty,” Susan Korn shared.
Wandering downtown Asheville on Monday, May 18 with the help of their ubiquitous green visitors’ map, the Korns said they had noticed a bit of “grit,” but that they were far more impressed with the state of Western North Carolina after the storm.
“The revitalization, it’s really impressive,” Susan Korn said.
“It’s spectacular,” Joel Korn agreed. “And it’s huge. It’s not just that three or four blocks; we’re trying to get a sense for downtown. The area is enormous. The area that seems to be thriving.”
The Korns were in town on the hunt for beauty, inside and outside of the city.
“We’re gonna be here for four days, and we’re kind of doing a mix of things in the city, and we’ll go out into the outskirts and maybe do a few hikes, see some of the waterfalls,” Joel Korn said. “We went to the [North Carolina] Arboretum this morning, which was beautiful.”
They found it.
For more things to do in Asheville, especially for tourists and new residents, consult our guide below: