ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — A new study from Visit North Carolina has revealed that domestic and international tourists spent around $2.6 billion in the Asheville area in 2025, ranking the region third in North Carolina county visitor economies.
The study, titled “The Economic Impact of Travel on North Carolina Counties,” was prepared for Visit North Carolina by Tourism Economics. According to the report, visitor spending across the state increased by 1.3%, achieving a record $37.2 billion.
Rebounding from Helene
In Buncombe County, the tourist economy is still recovering after Tropical Storm Helene.
The damage caused by the storm, which hit Western North Carolina in September 2024, had a tremendous impact on the Buncombe County economy, especially in the hospitality sector.
“The original damage estimate for the region was close to $60 billion; however, when factoring in economic losses, the total cost is significantly higher. From the fourth quarter alone, Buncombe County experienced a $910 million economic loss, representing more than half of the total loss for all impacted counties combined,” Explore Asheville wrote in a press release on May 29, 2025.
In human capital terms, or the impact to jobs and the labor force, “the hospitality sector experienced the most significant impact from October to April, representing the majority of job losses and unemployment claims in Buncombe, Haywood and Madison Counties.”
Including the months prior to Helene, visitor spending in Buncombe County hit $2.65 billion in 2024, a $320 million drop from 2023.
In 2025, visitor spending dropped an additional 2% to $2.6 billion.
Mountain county resilience
Even with the drop, Buncombe County ranked third highest in 2025 visitor expenditure among North Carolina counties, according to the Tourism Economics study. Buncombe County was preceded by only Wake County, which grew by 2.4% from 2024, and Mecklenburg County, which grew by 1.5% from 2024.
“Nearly two years after Hurricane Helene, our travel and hospitality community continues to lead the Asheville Area’s rebound and propel us forward,” said Vic Isley, president and CEO of Explore Asheville and the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority. “The dedication of our artists, chefs, outdoor guides, retail shopkeepers, experience providers and all travel and hospitality professionals signals our region’s resilience and remains essential in restoring both our community’s livelihood and pride.”
Visit North Carolina said that the resilience of Buncombe County and other WNC counties was inspirational.
“As much as we’d love to see growth in each of our 100 counties, the study confirms the vitality of North Carolina’s tourism economy,” said Wit Tuttell, executive director of Visit NC. “With the approach of the two-year milestone of Hurricane Helene, we can draw inspiration from mountain counties that have experienced a turnaround as we continue the effort to see every destination reach higher ground.”
For more details from the economic study, visit www.visitnc.com/industry/research/economic-impact-studies.