Image credit: Tamara Bellis

Coffs Harbour is the tourist mecca, with business thriving over the Christmas New Year school holidays.

As we start 2019, we have been blessed with some beautiful sub-tropical weather living here beside the beautiful Tasman Sea with the sun shining strong over the Coffs Coast. With all the natural environment that we live amongst, being out and about with family and friends over this festive season, its been a special and unique place to be.

With the number of businesses in the local Coffs Harbour area, industries have continued to grow. The number of registered businesses locally increased to more than 5600 in 2017 from 5500 in 2015. These business owners, and employees live on the Coffs Coast, which supports other local business. It attracts more people to live here as population growth increases, and in turn services improve, giving us all an overall better lifestyle. Over this school holiday period leading up to Christmas, including the Boxing Day sales it was busy at all the local shopping centres.

When people who live here shop local, along with the visiting tourists it really benefits everyone who lives here. Along with the retail sector, whilst out over the past week, I have noticed restaurants and cafes have been very busy with visitors at the Jetty Strip, Coffs CBD (Coffs Central) and Park Beach Plaza. It is a great time of the year to venture out, and the people visiting Coffs Harbour have a great choice of quality cuisine to try.

There is also a great range of different markets to visit like the Harbourside Markets at the new Jetty precinct on every Sunday, Coffs City Uptown Markets in the CBD, and over daylight hours each Friday afternoon, the Twilight Food Market located at Park Beach Reserve in Coffs Harbour. With these organised weekly events, it brings the whole community together, along with tourists visiting here, to enjoy the outdoors with friends and family. Here they enjoy this with a choice of great food, coffee, local produce, and art and craft. There is usually free live music and is a wonderful experience to meet and greet others. Additionally, there are markets in other local towns like Sawtell, Bellingen and Woolgoolga which are always well worth a visit.

Local business is an important backbone of the success of the growth of Coffs Harbour and surrounding areas, and a reminder that any business is welcome to join the Coffs Harbour Chamber of Commerce, and enjoy the benefits of being a member.