Whalebone Wharf owner Nathan Tomkins said the restaurant had its biggest October in the 24 years he had owned the business.

"The school holidays were like the best Christmas I've ever had," he said.

Tourists are exploring closer to home with coronavirus border closures restricting destination options.

That has been a boon for regional areas including Port Macquarie.

NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet, who visited Port Macquarie on Wednesday (October 28), said it was great to see the regions flourishing.

"I see the data in terms of credit card spend and tourism numbers and it is great to see Sydneysiders are coming out to regional towns like Port to holiday," he said.

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The record October trade at Whalebone Wharf comes after the restaurant closed its doors for three months during the height of the coronavirus pandemic.

Mr Tomkins brought staff back on reduced hours, with a focus on tasks like maintenance and cleaning, when JobKeeper kicked in.

The business reopened on June 3 with COVID-safe measures in place and immediately experienced an influx of diners.

The result was a very good June, followed by boosted consumer confidence in July.

"It has just gone onward and upward since then," Mr Tomkins said.

The staff members are no longer on JobKeeper due to the surge in business.

Whalebone Wharf is seeking more employees to join the 30-strong team but JobSeeker, with the coronavirus supplement, is proving to be a stumbling block.

"I can't get enough staff at the moment - I could put another 10 staff on," he said.

Whalebone Wharf is looking for chefs, experienced wait staff and juniors.

Mr Tomkins' excitement about the future comes with a measure of dubiousness because he recognises the business environment can change quickly.

He is taking the opportunity to invest in the business including purchasing new equipment.

Mr Tomkins praised the state and federal governments for business support measures.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian and Port Macquarie MP Leslie Williams met with business representatives during a breakfast at Whalebone Wharf on Tuesday (October 27).

The Premier visited Rapville, Coffs Harbour, Port Macquarie and Myall Lakes during a regional visit.

Ms Berejiklian said tourism was booming and many towns were experiencing almost pre-Christmas type tourism.

But she there had been a mixed response from Mid-North Coast employers at this time.

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