The campaign aims to promote the region as a thriving foodie destination that offers a smorgasbord of things to eat, see and do.

Group manager Liesa Davies said local hospitality businesses are on the front line of the visitor experience, and are a key tourism drawcard for our region.

“Domestic overnight visitor numbers increased by 5.6 per cent in 2017, and our survey results show that hospitality venues are a key attraction for visitors, with 81 per cent of people eating out while they are here,” said Ms Davies.

“A real positive for us in promoting our region to visitors is the fact that we continue to see a lot of investment in new and improved offerings. We’ve recently seen the local hospitality industry invest more than $60 million into renovated food, beverage and accommodation facilities.

“This means we have great venues to showcase in our marketing and gives us an advantage over other destinations that may not be seeing that same level of investment,” Ms Davies said.

President of the Greater Port Macquarie Tourism Association, Janette Hyde, highlighted the great work of local tourism operators and their efforts to keep lifting the bar.

To gain further insight into the performance of the local tourism industry and to continue to plan for visitor growth, council will also embark on a new round of visitor satisfaction surveys in the coming months.

The surveys will identify what visitors love about the region, what they do while they’re here and other attractions and services that may be desired in the future.

“Council is working hard to plan for our region’s future by collaborating with local businesses and industry networks, looking at new ways to attract visitors to our region,” Ms Davies said.

“The local tourism industry has created some great new experiences for our visitors, and the diverse range of restaurants, bars, cafés and accommodation options now available truly mean there’s something for everyone to enjoy.”