Lake Junaluska is on the rebound

May 28—LAKE JUNALUSKA — Area residents accustomed to enjoying the amenities at Lake Junaluska Assembly are about to experience a sea change when they go for their evening walk or drop by the Harrell Center for a cup of coffee.

Instead of seeing the relatively small number of folks they can usually greet by name, visitors from across the nation — and world — will be flocking to the lake starting this weekend.

Following two years when COVID-19 virtually shut down the bread-and-butter business at the retreat center — group conferences — business is back and it's surging.

"Conferences with over 1,000 participants are attempting a return to Lake Junaluska and Haywood County in 2022," said Ken Howle, executive director at the Lake Junaluska Assembly. "The number of large events returning is similar to 2019, with several large conferences scheduled from May to early September."

The conferences include: Carolina Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, May 29 to June 5; Holston Conference of The United Methodist Church, June 5 — 8; Western North Carolina Conference of The United Methodist Church, June 16 — 19; and The Salvation Army Bible Conference, Aug. 7 — 14.

"All together these conferences will bring over 6,000 overnight guests to Lake Junaluska and Haywood County this summer," Howle said. "While the meetings will take place at Lake Junaluska, much of the lodging and dining will take place throughout Haywood County."

Howle warned that parking could be difficult to find at the Assembly during the conference days, and suggested those who wanted to walk around the lake and help welcome visitors might consider parking at the Nanci Weldon gym.

Long road back

In March 2020 when COVID-19 hit North Carolina, life changed dramatically across the state. Schools were transitioned to at-home learning, while there was a mandatory stay-at-home order issued by the governor that lasted into mid-May.

That summer, tourists discovered Haywood County was the ideal spot to enjoy the safer outdoor recreation activities, but early on, they weren't staying in hotels or motels — or Lake Junaluska.

It was the vacation rental business that exploded during a time when travelers booked single units such as cabins, cottages or homes turned into Airbnbs. The pandemic and the subsequent rules all but killed the conference business model.

In a normal year, Lake Junaluska attracts 250,000 visitors, 50,000 of whom spend the night at accommodations on the sprawling campus, which includes two large hotels, apartments, vacation rentals, a campground and a host of recreational experiences.

During 2020, Lake Junaluska Assembly lost $4.5 million, but ended the year with a $100,000 overall loss thanks to a spike in charitable giving, the forgivable government loan program and significantly paring down expenses.

The next year also brought lower than normal stays during nine of 12 months in 2021, but new groups and individuals provided a slight uptick in revenue.

When it became clear the pandemic would temporarily transform the way Lake Junaluska Assembly operates, the management team began re-envisioning its business model, Howle said in a 2020 interview.

The marketing focus was two-pronged — to reach out to the people who previously visited the lake to entice them back, and to reach new customers flocking to the region where crowded urban areas with the traditional vacation draws might have lost their allure. The target market was geared toward individual and family travel.

Part of the adaptation included shifting the focus to more outdoor activities — boat rentals, pool operations, golfing and room rentals to travelers as opposed to conference attendees. A new dining operation jettisoned the traditional buffet model and focused on take out meals, as well as table service — options that proved to be popular.

The same events and occasions offered at the lake were observed, albeit in different ways over the past two years. July 4 gatherings were outdoors, and events that typically attracted large groups, such as the fireworks display, were set aside in favor of smaller-scale activities. Some activities such as the Lake Junaluska Singers and other concerts, were moved online.

"It was a lot of people working together who wanted to see a bright future for Lake Junaluska that made this happen," Howle said.

Better times ahead

Now that COVID vaccinations and treatments are widely available, 2022 appears to be the year normalcy is returning.

In addition to the return of larger groups, new group business has grown throughout the year — most from churches, ministries, corporate groups, or associations and societies, Howle said.

"Many of them had never heard of Lake Junaluska or Haywood County but found us through online searches for a conference center, or on Facebook and Instagram," he said. "Many groups were referred to us by those who have had great experiences here."

In addition, wedding bookings at Lake Junaluska have continued to grow. Forty weddings took place at Lake Junaluska in 2021, and even more are anticipated this year.

Tourism industry consultants who worked with the Assembly to create a roadmap to recovery predicted a full recovery would not happen until 2023.

"With the ongoing surges in COVID cases, this prediction has been accurate," Howle said. "Bookings for group events this winter and spring have been substantially higher than 2020 and 2021, but the average group size is declining. Groups that once had 100 in attendance are often ending up with 60 to 70 participants."

Some events are choosing to wait until 2023 before returning.

As groups return, changes are noticeable, including stays where families are seeking a faith-oriented place like Lake Junaluska to come for faith and renewal.

"We're still working our way through what the world will look like on the other side of the pandemic," he said. "The demand for outdoor spaces continues to be high, and interest in renting homes instead of hotel rooms has also continued. We are blessed with an abundance of outdoor spaces at Lake Junaluska, and the use of these areas is at an all-time high."

In addition, groups are interested in having hybrid meetings, and streaming services are in demand — all services the Assembly learned how to deliver during the pandemic.

"As we look toward 2023 and beyond, we are thankful that the demand for places like Lake Junaluska is very strong," Howle said. "As the world continues to experience the challenges of war and unrest, we are thankful to continue our 109-year tradition of being a sanctuary for those seeking renewal and transformation. Just like the lights on the beloved Lake Junaluska Cross, our future continues to be very bright."