Comprising 20% of Buncombe County’s economic impact in 2019, the Biltmore Estate has been a catalyst for the tourism and hospitality industry since John and Cornelia Vanderbilt Cecil opened their house to the public in the 1930s. 

Biltmore has been a major employer in WNC since its inception. Currently 2,200 employees serve the estate’s 1.3 million annual guests and maintain the estate itself. Economic data from a study produced for Biltmore in 2020 by Oxford Economics estimated Biltmore’s total economic impact in Buncombe County to be $620 million in FY19.

Also during FY19, $17.9 million in direct spending was generated by Biltmore’s preservation efforts, which touch all aspects of the business including the gardens, farmlands, the 250-room historic house, and other original structures that are a part of Biltmore’s National Historic Landmark designation.

Out of the 1.3 million annual guests, approximately 128,000 stayed overnight at one of the estate’s hotels. Apart from Annual Passholders, 95% of ticketed visitors come from outside the WNC area. Guests visit from other NC cities like Charlotte and the Raleigh-Durham area, and other nearby Southeastern cities like Atlanta, GA; Knoxville, TN; and Washington, D.C. Guests have traveled to visit Biltmore from the Yukon region of Alaska, Hawaii, and internationally as far away as China and India. 

According to Biltmore’s Public Relations Manager Marissa Jamison, WNC locals are just as important to Biltmore. Annual Passholders are largely residents of Buncombe County and regularly take advantage of year-round access to the estate. Thousands of locals have been employees over the years, committing their strengths and talents to the estate’s mission of preservation. 

“We consider local residents to be a vital part of who Biltmore is as a family-owned business,” Jamison said. “Ensuring that locals visit and that we share a common value of preserving Biltmore for generations to come is essential to our business and growth.”

To encourage the Estate’s visitors to return again and again, Biltmore offers seasonal events, regularly updated audio-narrative guides, regular room restoration projects, and various exhibitions. Biltmore’s Outdoor Adventure Center offers a variety of regular and seasonal outdoor informational sessions and activities, and the expansive gardens are updated and changed seasonally to offer guests a different perspective each season.

“When considering new experiences and events, the opinions of our guests matter and we are always seeking feedback,” Jamison said. “We use surveys and reviews to understand our guest preferences, suggestions for new offerings, and areas for improvement.”

Biltmore’s winery is a significant attraction outside of the house itself. Guests can enjoy complimentary tastings in the estate’s former dairy barn, purchase bottles to take home from the retail area, and join the Vanderbilt Wine Club to receive discounts, invitations to events, and first access to new wine releases. 

More than 150,000 cases of wine are sold annually, and other products are created on the estate or with area partners. The estate’s bee hives produce honey used in estate restaurants and sold at the estate’s retail outlets, and the eight-mile long pathway of sunflowers planted annually is used to create a sunflower oil also used and sold on the property.

Local partnerships include Waynesville Soda Jerks, who collaborated on a Blueberry-Basil Soda which has been made with hydroponically-raised basil from Biltmore’s field-to-table program. Biltmore also collaborated with Chemist Spirits on several products, most recently the Biltmore Single Malt Whiskey release.

Participating in the local community goes beyond Passholders and business partnerships. 

“George and Edith Vanderbilt were the starting point for Biltmore’s support of the WNC community,” Jamison said. "Their work extended beyond the boundaries of Biltmore, with initiatives that improved the lives and economic outlook for people throughout WNC, including adult literacy programs and Biltmore Industries; support for the arts, the hospital system, 4-H Club, and the North Carolina State Fair.”

The most recent fiscal year marked the highest amount of annual giving in the company’s history, according to Jamison. Key partners Biltmore is supporting in our community include Homeward Bound, Habitat for Humanity, MANNA FoodBank, and Buncombe Partnership for Children to build capacity for more childcare slots in the county for children three years old and younger. Work with local and regional nonprofits also includes partnerships with:

• AB Tech
• Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce
• Children’s Welfare League
• Eblen Charities
• Isothermal Community College
• JFAC Scholarship Fund
• Mountain Housing Opportunities
• Society of Arboriculture SC Conference
• Western Carolina University
• Working Wheels
• All Souls Cathedral
• Basilica Preservation Fund
• Preservation North Carolina
• Preservation Society of Asheville & Buncombe County
• Friends of the Smokies
• Muddy Sneakers
• Meals on Wheels
• Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project
• NC Agricultural Foundation
• Organic Growers School

“Biltmore continues the Vanderbilts’ community-based work today by investing in community needs that are being met through nonprofits,” Jamison said. “We select focus areas for philanthropy that are reviewed every three years. Current focus areas include people in need, preservation of cultural experiences, conservation of the natural environment, and sustaining the economic vitality of WNC."

Photo courtesy of Biltmore Estate