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In April 2019, RomanticAsheville.com founder Mark File turned over the reins of this community-driven guide to Justin Belleme. Started as a passion project in 2003, RomanticAsheville.com is now one of the most visited travel websites in Western North Carolina, receiving 3 million pageviews 2025 from 200 countries, and achieving a social media reach of 13 million (2025 data). Meet our team below! Photo Above: Justin Belleme (left) and Mark File (right)
Justin Belleme, Publisher and CEO
In April 2019, Justin Belleme led the acquisition of RomanticAsheville.com Travel Guide from founder Mark File. Justin is a Western NC native, born in Asheville, and spent his childhood in Saluda. His first jobs in high school were in tourism and hospitality, with time as a server and barista at the Purple Onion (it was called Wise Child at the time) and in the kitchen and dish room at the Orchard Inn.
A serial entrepreneur, Justin founded his first business, an online magazine about the Asheville area for visitors, in 2003. He continued to work in tourism marketing, holding interim positions in online marketing with Asheville Convention & Visitors Bureau, Tupelo Honey Cafe, and the City of Asheville in 2010 before launching Internet marketing agency JB Media Group in 2011. As Director of Strategy at JB Media Group, Justin oversay the strategic direction for projects in SEO, online advertising, social media, event marketing, email, and public relations for clients ranging from the Eastern Band of The Cherokee Indians to the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area, Holistic Holiday at Sea, and the Social Capital Markets conference.
In 2012, Justin saw a need for training for marketing professionals and business owners in Internet marketing from industry professionals. He teamed up with Sarah Benoit to found the JB Media Institute shortly thereafter. Under his vision and leadership, the program trained more than nearly 300 students in its first six years. Justin is a frequent presenter on the more technical elements of Internet marketing, including Google advertising for businesses and non-profits, SEO, and social media advertising.
At RomanticAsheville.com, Justin leads the editorial and partnerships team while providing an overall strategy for the website. He loves the NC Mountains and is grateful to be able to support the local arts and environmental organizations through the site’s non-profit support programs.
The recipient of the 2014 Entrepreneur of the Year Award from the Asheville Chamber of Commerce, Justin is a strong advocate for entrepreneurship. He has served on the Board of Directors of the Asheville Chamber of Commerce, the Veteran’s Healing Farm, and he is a previous Board Chair for the NC Stage Company.
Veronika Gunter, Director of Content and Operations
Veronika began working with RomanticAsheville.com in 2022 and stepped into this expanded role in late 2025. She's here to help partners shine and connect visitors with the best Western North Carolina has to offer. Need a content update? She's your go-to. Have ideas for promoting your destination? She's listening. Working alongside the Publisher/CEO, Veronika keeps RomanticAsheville.com fresh, accurate, and ready to adapt as the tourism industry evolves. Her goal is straightforward: deliver real value for partners and authentic stories for visitors—whether it's their first trip or their 500th.
Veronika is a Southern Appalachian native and loves the people and places of WNC. She's worked to conserve these mountains, co-founded community radio stations, and served on boards including YWCA-Asheville and the Recovery Living Ministry Advisory Board at Costello House. She chairs the board of The Connectivity Project, fosters animals through Asheville Humane Society, and patrols the slopes at Cataloochee Ski Area. She walks from her home to nearby Downtown Asheville weekly (usually with a foster dog) to see what's new. She's likely the fastest non-competitive hiker you'll ever meet.
Her background spans writing for newspapers and radio, editing fine art books, running a digital marketing firm, developing solar farms, managing grassroots campaigns, and serving as fractional COO. She's served as a regional leader in the B Corporation movement and advocates for sustainable, meaningful travel. Veronika holds degrees in writing and communication from UNC-Asheville and ECU, plus a certificate in nonprofit management from Duke.
Tristan Thomas, Social Media Manager
Tristan has been a consultant with RomanticAsheville.com since 2024, helping showcase the people, places, and outdoor experiences that make Western North Carolina special. She brings a creative eye to social media and a deep appreciation for the region’s landscapes, always looking for new ways to connect visitors with the trails, towns, and local businesses that define life in the Blue Ridge Mountains.
A social media guru, treat connoisseur, avid backpacker, and outdoor writer, Tristan gets just as excited about exploring a new trail as she does crafting an engaging social media post that highlights a favorite local spot. She enjoys telling stories that inspire people to get outside, try something new, and discover what makes Western North Carolina memorable.
In 2023, Tristan thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail, and in 2025 the Pacific Crest Trail. After hiking through 17 states and more than 4,800 miles on those adventures, Western North Carolina is still the place she chooses to call home. She can’t imagine living, playing, creating, or working anywhere else.
With her experience in social media management, graphic design, and ecology, Tristan brings a unique perspective to her work. Through every post, she aims to highlight both hidden gems and well-loved destinations while encouraging mindful tourism—inviting visitors to enjoy these mountains in ways that help preserve them for generations to come
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