North Carolina’s governor-elect encouraged tourism to return to western North Carolina to aid Helene recovery efforts while criticizing a bill that was recently made law. Josh Stein, D-North Carolina, visited four businesses in downtown Asheville on Thursday as the area continues to recover from the September storm. “Folks need to understand that Asheville, that the rest of western North Carolina, is open for business,” Stein said. “They’re not only open for business, they’re desperate for business. Folks are really struggling. We need to come here to support these businesses that we know we love and help boost their opportunity and their chance for success.”Explore Asheville officials said around 29,000 jobs in the area depend on tourism. Officials said tourism and hospitality make up around 20% of Buncombe County’s total economy. The governor-elect’s visit comes one day after the Republican-led North Carolina House overrode a veto from Gov. Roy Cooper on …
