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From Staff Reports
ASHEVILLE — New hotel occupancy numbers are out “and they continue to show the tourism slide that Asheville locals already sense nearly nine months after Helene,” Asheville television station WLOS (News 13) reported on June 25.
“Explore Asheville, the area's tourism organization, reported that May hotel occupancy was down 7 percent compared to last May,” News 13 added. “Hotel revenues are down 19 percent compared to revenues last May, and room rate data shows a decrease of 13 percent.
“Ashley Greenstein, spokesperson for Explore Asheville, said (at a Buncombe County Tourism Developmnt Authority meeting on June 25) that vacation rental occupancy was down 11 percent compared to last May, and demand was down 26 percent. The inventory has also dropped by 16 percent, according to Greenstein.”
Even worse. “Andrew Lehman, general manager of the Grand Bohemian and newly appointed chairman of the Tourism Development Board, said that of his 80 available rooms, only about 50 percent are occupied. In June, Lehman said, typically, he has around 75 percent occupancy,” the TV station stated
“We’re seeing families come in for camps, but not as many as we used to," Lehman said. "We’re seeing people come for hikes and waterfalls, but we’re not seeing that quite as much.”
While the amenities, such as hiking, are still here, as with so many in the local tourism industry, he is trying hard “to help spread the word that visitors can and should visit Asheville,” News 13 stated.
The new data shows that in May 2025, Buncombe County had 198,526 hotel rooms booked, while In May 2019, 190,459 rooms were booked, but “a lot of those occupied hotel rooms (in 2025) are filled with people here as part of recovery,” Lehman said. “That’s a different type of traveler.”
News 13 added, “Lehman said these visitors are not doing what tourists do – sightseeing and spending on a trip.”
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