Western North Carolina’s Tourism Bounces Back Post-Hurricane Helene
In the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, western North Carolina’s tourism industry is showing signs of recovery. A recent report by the North Carolina Rural Center highlights a $300 million decline in visitor spending across the 16 counties most affected by the storm. This decline also led to a significant job loss in the region between 2023 and 2025, though the rate of job losses is now decreasing.
Efforts to revitalize the area’s ecotourism have been spearheaded by local conservation organizations and land managers. Joanna Brown, Communications Manager for the Made By Mountains Partnership, notes that these groups have been actively working to restore and enhance outdoor spaces since the hurricane hit.
“They have been on the ground since the day after Helene,” Brown explains. “Just working as hard as they can to restore, to rebuild, to bring all of those outdoor spaces back, but not just back, but back better. We know that these significant weather events are going to continue happening. And we have to look at our infrastructure and build it to be as resilient and sound as we possibly can.”
Part of this restoration effort involves stabilizing local waterways by planting native vegetation along riverbanks and reinforcing fragile areas of the Blue Ridge Parkway. These measures aim to not only repair damage but also to prepare the region for future weather challenges.
