Are any western NC communities actually welcoming tourists this fall?

MORGANTON, N.C. ( QUEEN CITY NEWS ) — As the cleanup from Tropical Storm Helene continues, many North Carolina counties are taking a guarded approach when it comes to tourists.

Some are actively encouraging them, others are “welcoming back” tourists, while others are saying tourists are entering areas at their own risk or outright discouraging unnecessary travel.

Early October is normally the time of year many tourists come to the mountains and surrounding areas because of the leaf-changing season. Despite the traffic it brings to the area, it also brings a significant amount of money spent at local businesses and tax dollars, particularly in areas close to the North Carolina-Tennessee border and along the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Many of those areas, including the Parkway itself, are either closed off or considered dangerous outside of essential travel. The N.C. Department of Transportation is still asking drivers to avoid the area , beginning directly west of Morganton and Lenoir.

In Burke County, their guarded approach has meant not actively promoting tourism yet in the county. This is mainly due to damage and cleanup in certain areas, along with lodging accommodations county-wide being filled by people who have evacuated their homes, or by workers providing aid to areas that have experienced devastation from Helene.

“October is usually our first or second-busiest month of the year for accommodations,” said Burke County Tourism CEO Ed Phillips.

Phillips said people have started to come to the area as tourists to see the damage to the county, which he said is not advisable given the ongoing cleanup efforts.

Advice on traveling to tourist spots varies from county to county, and sometimes from town to town.

In the high country, Boone and Banner Elk have posted messages to their social media noting the need for essential travel only on their respective roads.

Other counties that did not suffer as much damage are, in some cases, actively encouraging people to visit.

Alexander County, which has largely recovered from their Helene-related storm issues, is one such county actively seeking tourists.

“Luckily, we fared pretty well from the storm, and we are ready for visitors,” said Alexander County Public Information Officer Gary Herman.

Alexander County itself has had a recent history of deadly flooding. Though it did not happen with Helene, they are not taking it for granted.

“We’re all in constant thoughts and prayers for our neighbors. But we are very lucky and fortunate that we weren’t hit any harder than they were,” Herman said.

Burke County’s Phillips noted that tourists attempting to visit areas still recovering from Helene, particularly those who wish to see the changing colors of the leaves, should plan ahead — and be ready to change those plans if they have to.

“Don’t just get in your car and drive, because you’re probably going to come to places that are completely blocked off or closed off,” he said.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News.