Buncombe County hotels collected $113,045,590 for the 2001-20002 fiscal year compared to $99,301,180 for the previous year - a 13.8% increase.

Gains were reported every month of that time period, including September.

While some of the growth can be attributed to the addition of new hotel rooms, overall room occupancy was also up by 2.9 points, the first time the region has experienced occupancy rate gains in the past several years.

"The fact that more rooms are occupied and commanding a higher average daily rate attests to the strength of the marketing efforts and the Asheville brand," Asheville Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB) Vice President and Executive Director Kelly Miller said.

The Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority oversees an aggressive advertising and marketing effort aimed at capturing travelers in the Southeast while also providing more national exposure for this destination.   National cable TV advertising combined with selected print ads along with a pro-active media relations program has generated significant exposure for the area that goes beyond bringing in tourists.

"The strength of the local tourism industry over the past year helped keep the Asheville area economy strong in the wake of a recession," added Chris Cavanaugh, vice president of marketing for Biltmore Estate and the chair of the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority.   "The tourism marketing efforts also create awareness of the destination which assists in economic development efforts."

Cavanaugh noted that Biltmore Estate - home of the 250-room Biltmore House and the region's largest attraction - experienced a banner year as well, with record visitation.  The addition of new hotel rooms, including the opening of the Inn on Biltmore Estate also helped generate increased revenue.

Nationwide, travelers turned toward more destinations within driving distance this spring and summer.  That trend has also benefited the Asheville area where more than 95 percent of leisure visitors arrive by car.

Initial numbers for summer traffic appear strong.  In July, the county realized a 7.2 percent increase in hotel sales over last year, and area hoteliers and innkeepers are bracing for a stellar fall foliage season when thousands of visitors head to the North Carolina mountains in search of spectacular leaf peeping opportunities.

Tourism is one of the largest industry segments in the Asheville area and overnight leisure visitation generates an economic impact of more than $1 billion for the Asheville area economy each year.  The Asheville Convention & Visitors Bureau, a department of the Asheville Chamber of Commerce, oversees the $3.8 million tourism marketing effort at the direction of the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority.