Gov. Josh Stein promotes tourism at Asheville Airport for “Rediscover the Unforgettable”
Gov. Josh Stein speaks at Asheville Regional Airport to highlight NC tourism as part of the “Rediscover the Unforgettable” initiative.
- Stein visited small businesses in Catawba Falls, Old Fort and Spruce Pine.
- He said the new airport will create $3.9 billion in economic activity every year.
FLETCHER – Gov. Josh Stein visited the newly opened north concourse of the Asheville Regional Airport July 14 as part of a week-long trip across Western North Carolina to promote an initiative meant to boost tourism after Tropical Storm Helene.
He touted the ability of what will ultimately be an almost entirely rebuilt airport to bring in outside visitors from across the country and around the world, boosting WNC’s economy.
Helene struck North Carolina in September 2024, with a particularly devastating blow to the western mountain region, killing more than 100 people and causing nearly $60 billion in damage to homes, businesses, roads and other infrastructure. WNC’s economy relies heavily on tourism, particularly that related to outdoor recreation, which is still rebounding from the storm.
It’s estimated that outdoor recreation in the region has an annual economic impact of $4.9 billion and supports 48,000 full-time jobs, according to previous reporting from the Asheville Citizen Times.
“We want to remind the people of Western North Carolina that we are here with them as they rebuild and come back,” Stein said in a press conference, held between boarding gates in the new terminal, which opened June 25.
The slogan of his trip is “Rediscover the Unforgettable,” meaning rediscover the unforgettable experiences available in WNC after the devastation of Helene.
Stein, a Democrat elected as governor in 2024 after serving two terms as attorney general, said it will create $3.9 billion in economic activity each year and 22,000 jobs.
Stein said that so far on his trip he had been to Catawba Falls, Old Fort, Burnsville, Spruce Pine and Asheville’s River Arts District. Next, he said he plans to float down a river in Nantahala National Forest and visit a summer camp and a pottery studio in Brevard.
“It’s been incredibly uplifting,” Stein said of his trip so far. “Yes, there are places that are still working hard to come back, but so many places have their doors wide open, and it’s up to us to enter those doors and bring our commerce to WNC.” Recent reporting from the Citizen Times found that the hospitality industry in Buncombe County is “lagging in its recovery.”
Stein also visited UNC Asheville, which hosted the Governor’s Advisory Council for Western North Carolina Recovery, a gathering of community leaders coordinating recovery efforts, and went on a tour of local aircraft manufacturer Pratt & Whitney.
He said he found it exciting that many of the workers there came out of the community college system, including Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College, where he plans to visit July 16, and said he wants to make North Carolina “the best state for workforce development in this entire country.”
Asheville Citizen Times reporter Will Hofmann contributed to this report.
George Fabe Russell is the Henderson County Reporter for the Hendersonville Times-News. Tips, questions, comments? Email him at GFRussell@gannett.com.