Minneapolis-Saint Paul, Minnesota, is the newest nonstop flight destination from Asheville Regional Airport, Allegiant announced June 29.

Executives for Allegiant and Asheville Airport say the new twice-weekly route that starts Oct. 7 will give travelers from each location access to outdoor opportunities at each destination.

- Excerpt from: https://www.citizen-times.com/story/news/2021/06/29/asheville-regional-airport-adds-nonstop-flights-minneapolis-minnesota-allegiant-airlines/7795729002/

I understand Asheville spends ALOT of money on promoting our city nationally and regionally through advertisement. I am sure in our political environment today, we all have a split opinion on how effective the money spent actually is. As a small business owner in town, I see the impact.

It is a rainy Sunday in Asheville, in February. Not ideal for a great day. Within 4 hours of our West Asheville shop being open today, we have had visitors stop in from: Minnesota, Kentucky, Nebraska, Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, Tennessee, Indiana, Oregon, Virginia, and New York. It’s incredible. I love to talk, so I ask them all how they found there way to Asheville. In most instances, I hear three things:

1. Friends / Family told us that we had to visit.

2. They saw on an online search that Asheville was awesome to visit

3. They found a direct flight from a close airport to AVL.

The direct flight that Allegiant offers from AVL to MSP (Minneapolis / St. Paul) began in October 2021. We never heard many folks come into the shop saying they were from Minnesota before October 2021. Now, we hear it daily. It’s awesome to actually see the effort working. These are tourists that can’t wait to explore all that Asheville has to offer.

They’ve eaten at Biscuit Head or Sunny Point, hiked, brewery hopped, shopped, and enjoyed the southern hospitality of Asheville. I know we need balance with our TDA, our short-term rentals, hotels, taxes, etc., but it brings a great sense of pride knowing that people all across the country want to visit and explore our precious land and businesses within Western North Carolina. We take great joy in welcoming everyone into our shops and leaving with a desire to return on the next visit. Well done!

What a cool place to live! Keep it up Asheville!

-Matt