Rural Heritage: Craft, People and Place - Asheville, North Carolina

This mission focused on the “connection of craft, people, and place” and centered on learning from the nationally recognized “Handmade in America” model in western North Carolina. The belief is that economic revitalization isn’t necessarily tied to luring “modern” industry but in making the hidden heritage and craftspeople known. The Homegrown Handmade model demonstrated the power of building partnerships that together, help promote a specific destination. Also, this model showcased how small businesses in rural settings can create innovate experiential tourism through local products. These models are excellent examples of how small communities brought people in off a main tourism venue (the Appellation trail) and converted tourism to be their major industry.

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