Port Macquarie is in the midst of another bumper tourist season according to local hotels, visitors and experts.
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The cafes are full, hotels near capacity and town’s a hive of family activities over the annual January holiday rush according to Macquarie Waters Boutique Apartment Hotel manager Jessica Holmes.
"We've been booked out from around Christmas to just after New Years, booked many months in advance," she said.
"The last couple of weeks we've seen many bookings and last minute travelers coming for a holiday or stopping between Sydney and Brisbane."
Ms Holmes said of the hotel's 32 apartments, visiting holiday makers were often families while some elderly couples were travelling to spend with family in Port Macquarie.
"We find young couples don't come up until university holidays near Easter time," she said.
"I've noticed Port Macquarie is a lot busier (this year) over the school holidays, local restaurants and cafes almost have to be booked to get a seat.
"With so many options people are enjoying restaurants more than they used to in the days of sitting on the foreshore with fish and chips."
Greater Port Macquarie Tourism president Janette Hyde said there seemed to be a renewed focus on providing children's activities such as surf schools, shopping centre events and fireworks.
"Anecdotally I think its been great in Port Macquarie for school holidays, with so many kids activities and the weather has been very fortunate for the tourists," she said.
"I've found people are getting around quite well to activities such fireworks at New Years and Westport.
"We're lucky we live in such a wonderful region."
The state's North Coast previously received over 5.5 million domestic overnight visitors from July 2017 to June 2018, according to annual visitor survey statistics from the NSW government.
Switzerland sightseer, Livio Winiker said Port Macquarie seemed busy and “a pretty nice town, pretty chilled."
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