Governor-Elect Stein urges tourists back, highlights Asheville’s need for business

ASHEVILLE, N.C. (WLOS) — Governor-Elect Josh Stein spoke with local business leaders in Downtown Asheville on Dec. 12, encouraging the need for visitors to make a comeback.

To put the need for tourism into perspective, according to Explore Asheville, travel and hospitality generates nearly $3 billion in local spending, which represents about 20% of the total annual economy in Buncombe County.

“What I think a lot of folks around North Carolina and the country don’t understand is Western North Carolina is open for business, and we need people to come here and spend their money,” he said.

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He said he believed there is a “disconnect,” because if you walk around Downtown Asheville, you can see that it is “just as dynamic as it’s always been.”

Stein said he fears that the outside world does not appreciate that Asheville is open for business and is quite frankly desperate for business.

“We need to come here, support these businesses that we know we love, and help boost their opportunity and their chance for success,” he said.

Stein said the 4th fiscal quarter is crucial for WNC, because of tourism being drawn to leaves in October and Christmas in December.

He said that tourists are not as present here as they were in the past.

“In anywhere near the level they’ve been historically, nobody was here in October — they need to make the money now because honestly January and February are tough months,” he said.

Stein visited multiple businesses, including Chestnut, Bender Gallery, Mast General Store and Lexington Glassworks.

Inside Bender Gallery, News 13 spoke with co-owners Miles and Bernadette Bender.

For their gallery, 80% of their business is tourism, meaning if there is no tourism, there are no sales.

“None of the galleries would exist if it weren’t for tourism so we’re all just kind of hanging in the wind right now trying to figure out how to do business that isn’t face-to-face,” Miles said.

After visiting with Governor-Elect Stein, Miles said that did not feel he left with the answers he was hoping for on where to go from here.

“I was hoping to hear some thoughts on what he might be suggesting what they do back at the higher governmental level to help this region to help get back to some semblance of normalcy,” he said.

Bernadette said it was still an honor to have Stein visit their gallery and to see how far they have come, which unfortunately is not very far given Asheville’s recent events.

“Here we are two and a half months later and things aren’t getting cleaned up and then people share the images of that and then everybody thinks, “That’s what Asheville looks like,'” Miles said.

He said that he would have liked to hear what Stein’s thoughts were on how to move forward.

“I mean he’s got an entire state to be worried about but this area needs some serious concern at this moment in time,” he said.

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Both Miles and Bernadette said they believe the answer is getting the area cleaned up so that people want to come back to the area.

“We hope that when the legislature opens up and starts giving funding for different areas that they don’t forget us, and hopefully they realize that we’re still really really hurting,” she said.

Business owners are cautious but optimistic moving forward into the new year, with the hope that the pace will pick up downtown because businesses need the support.