Travelers blend outdoor adventure and local dining in Asheville

New travel data shows couples and younger travelers want itineraries that mix hiking, wilderness access and local food experiences. The trend helps explain why Asheville hotels and downtown businesses are benefiting from visitors who want both mountain recreation and urban dining in one trip.

Why it matters: - Travelers are favoring destinations that make it easy to pair outdoor recreation with local dining. - That shift supports tourism markets like Asheville, where visitors can spend the day in the Blue Ridge Mountains and the evening downtown. - The trend is especially relevant for romantic getaways, where couples are looking for shared experiences instead of passive stays.

What happened: - The American Express 2026 Global Travel Trends Report found that 87% of surveyed travelers want room in their schedules for unplanned local discoveries. - The same report found that 89% of Millennial and Gen Z respondents value regional flavors and local food businesses during trips. - The JQ List 2026 report on romantic travel found that modern couples want trips that combine outdoor activities, local culture and culinary discovery. - Booking.com’s 2026 Travel Predictions report found that 43% of travelers want opportunities to connect with the natural world, and 69% want hotels that help them engage directly with wilderness. - DoubleTree by Hilton Asheville Downtown is being positioned as a base for couples who want mountain hikes during the day and dining or cocktails at night.

The details: - Buncombe County generated $2.65 billion in direct visitor spending in 2024, making it the third-largest tourism economy in North Carolina, according to Visit North Carolina data. - Food and beverage spending in Buncombe County totaled $718 million. - Recreation and entertainment spending in Buncombe County reached $329 million. - DoubleTree by Hilton Asheville Downtown is located at 199 Haywood Street in Asheville, North Carolina. - The hotel is an eight-story property with 140 guest rooms and five suites. - The property includes specialty corner-view rooms and 2,020 square feet of flexible indoor meeting space split across five conference rooms. - Guest rooms include 42-inch televisions with premium cable channels, mini-refrigerators, coffee makers and digital key access. - On-site amenities include an indoor heated pool, a fitness center with Precor treadmills and free weights, the Dogwood Cafe and Bar on the lobby level, and the Montford Rooftop Bar on the eighth floor. - The rooftop lounge offers views of the Blue Ridge Mountains. - Guests can walk from the hotel to local restaurants and cocktail bars in the central business district.

Between the lines: - The travel data points to a broader preference for flexible trips that mix movement, local flavor and convenience. - Asheville stands out because its tourism economy already spans outdoor recreation and food and beverage spending in the same destination. - Hotels with both skyline views and walkable access to downtown dining are well aligned with that demand.

What's next: - Hospitality operators in Asheville are likely to keep marketing around the combination of mountain access, downtown dining and easy overnight stays. - Couples planning romantic trips may continue favoring destinations that let them bundle outdoor activities with local restaurants and bars.

The bottom line: - Asheville’s appeal is increasingly tied to one simple formula: hike by day, dine downtown by night.