Biltmore Championship and funds drive Asheville tourism recovery in 2026

Explore Asheville and the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority opened 2026 with a partner gathering on January 12 focused on using major events and targeted funds to accelerate local economic recovery. Leaders framed the year as a turning point for visitor spending, small business support and community projects, highlighting the return of the Biltmore Championship and new investments in tourism product development.

The event, titled "The Year Ahead: Inspiring Community and Collaboration," brought together Explore Asheville CEO Vic Isley, Buncombe County Commission Chair Amanda Edwards and Asheville Mayor Esther Manheimer to outline a calendar of conferences, marquee events and product development priorities meant to restore and grow tourism-related activity. Officials emphasized the economic lift that a PGA Tour event returning to the Biltmore after many decades can generate for hotels, restaurants and local vendors.

Organizers also presented recent tourism spending data and described how recovery funds will be deployed. Two named resources figure prominently: the Always Asheville fund and the Tourism Product Development Fund. Leaders said those funds will be used to support small businesses and community projects as the county continues recovering from Hurricane Helene, though they did not announce new allocations at the gathering. The message was that public and private investment in events and product development are central to restoring visitor demand and building resilience.

The policy implications are straightforward: marquee events act as demand catalysts while product development funds address supply-side constraints such as capacity, visitor amenities and event-ready venues. For Buncombe County this means a two-pronged strategy — attract high-profile events that boost near-term spending and use targeted fund dollars to help small businesses and neighborhoods capture a share of that spending over the longer run. That approach can raise hotel occupancy, increase sales tax receipts and create seasonal employment, but it also requires coordination on traffic management, workforce readiness and equitable distribution of benefits.

Community impact will be uneven but tangible. Small retailers, tour operators and hospitality workers stand to see increased customers during event periods; community projects funded through the Tourism Product Development Fund can improve neighborhoods that host visitors. Recovery from Hurricane Helene remains part of the calculus, with officials linking reconstruction and resilience investments to their broader tourism strategy.

The takeaway? Expect more big events on the calendar and continued use of local recovery funds to channel visitor dollars toward small businesses and community projects. Our two cents? If you run a local business, keep an eye on Explore Asheville and county announcements for funding and partnership opportunities, and if you live near event venues, plan for higher traffic and boost your neighborhood services to make the most of returning visitors.