Asheville gets huge tourism spike thanks to rare blue ghosts: 'It's a huge morale boost'

Asheville gets huge tourism spike thanks to rare blue ghosts: 'It's a huge morale boost'

Asheville gets huge tourism spike thanks to rare blue ghosts: 'It's a huge morale boost' For decades, Asheville, North Carolina, has served as a “go-to” vacation destination.  Framed by the Blue Ridge Mountains and Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the idyllic city has long been known for its rich fall foliage, historic 800-acre Biltmore estate, and booming arts district.  But when Hurricane Helene ploughed through the lower half of the East Coast in late September 2024, Asheville was hit by a surge of floods that killed 72 people and displaced 200,000 more.  In the immediate aftermath, officials cautioned tourists to stay clear of Asheville and the surrounding areas in western North Carolina.  But after months of rebuilding, many locals say they’re not just ready for tourists to return — they’re relying on it.  “I live in Asheville but work in the Smokies,” Joe Yarkovich, a wildlife biologist for Great Smoky Mountains National Park, told The Saturday Evening Post in April. “…