National Geographic to Premiere Asheville by Design, the Next Installment of Network’s Weekly Travel Block

National Geographic announced today a new, 30-minute custom content special featuring the quirky and charismatic city of Asheville, North Carolina in partnership with Explore Asheville. Nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, Asheville is a small city that’s big on its history of craft and creativity, cool mountain air, and breathtaking attractions. Premiering Thursday, September 20 at 6:30/5:30c on National Geographic, this one-hour travel special explores the magic of Asheville, showcasing the enchantment and relaxation travelers experience here is no accident, it’s ‘By Design.’

“This is just the kind of storytelling National Geographic loves to share with our viewers—a truly unique and authentic travel experience unlike any other city in the country,” said Kimberly Connaghan, VP global partnerships, National Geographic Partners. “We are proud to partner with Explore Asheville and shine a light on this artistic community where differences are encouraged and celebrated.”

Asheville is known for its stunning landscapes and its charming, friendly streets. But viewers will soon see this city that has far more to offer then meets the eye – its locals are talented artists, musicians, makers and farmers. They are all part of a city in motion with an intentional design that embraces the area’s cultural roots and prepared it for its incredible growth. ‘By Design’ explores the treasures of this art-centric mountain town that has the country buzzing—a hip getaway destination that is synonymous with excellent food, friendly faces, and breweries for miles. Tune in to discover the beat that has Asheville dancing, and see for yourself why this funky, little town has become a cultural enclave for all things creative.

“National Geographic is a master at weaving together the stories that reflect the heart of the Asheville area,” said Explore Asheville Convention & Visitors Bureau Deputy Director and VP of Marketing Marla Tambellini. “Their team shares our passion for the people, places and ingenuity that make Asheville so special.”

For upcoming travel programming, National Geographic will continue to partner with tourism organizations and travel industry insiders to produce a series of hour-long specials in addition to other travel shows that focus on remarkable destinations around the world. San Diego, California is the next destination to be featured in the new travel line-up. This cities series will continue to focus on what makes each featured city so unique, providing an inside look into the history, art, food, drinks, music and cultural experiences. Each program will inspire audiences to travel to a new destination or explore their own backyard.

Media Contact

Heather Wyatt, National Geographic, Heather.Wyatt@natgeo.com, (917) 952-8679

About National Geographic Partners LLC

National Geographic Partners LLC (NGP), a joint venture between National Geographic and 21st Century Fox, is committed to bringing the world premium science, adventure and exploration content across an unrivaled portfolio of media assets. NGP combines the global National Geographic television channels (National Geographic Channel, Nat Geo WILD, Nat Geo MUNDO, Nat Geo PEOPLE) with National Geographic’s media and consumer-oriented assets, including National Geographic magazines; National Geographic studios; related digital and social media platforms; books; maps; children’s media; and ancillary activities that include travel, global experiences and events, archival sales, licensing and e-commerce businesses. Furthering knowledge and understanding of our world has been the core purpose of National Geographic for 130 years, and now we are committed to going deeper, pushing boundaries, going further for our consumers … and reaching millions of people around the world in 172 countries and 43 languages every month as we do it. NGP returns 27 percent of our proceeds to the nonprofit National Geographic Society to fund work in the areas of science, exploration, conservation and education. For more information visit natgeotv.com or nationalgeographic.com, or find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn and Pinterest.