BY JORDAN REGNIS
There's hope, the long weekend was a chance for a number of local businesses across the Hunter to gain an economic foothold, after significant staff shortages and supply chain issues.
Restaurants, bars, cafes and hotels recorded large crowds of people over the three-day period, despite the cooler weather.
The Crowne Plaza Hotel recorded over 900 guests each night across the three days, while the hospitality sector got off to a good start with the first State of Origin match on Tuesday.
Business Hunter CEO Bob Hawes says there were a large number of tourists from both within and across the state.
"I think that comes back to the capacity of the flights at the airport, which are nearly back to what they were before COVID," Mr Hawes said.
"We just hope that customers and the community remain patient while they go through this period of adjustment."
