COFFS Harbour was bustling over the Easter break, with its popularity as a destination seeing our city rank thirteenth on Booking.com’s top searched domestic destinations over the Easter period*; that’s up fifteen spots on last year’s ranking.

Melbourne topped the list, with the remaining cities in the top five being classic travel favourites Sydney, Gold Coast, Brisbane and Perth.

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The research reveals a very diversified range of domestic travel, with Adelaide, Canberra, Cairns, Hobart and Newcastle all making the top ten.

Looking further at the top 20 list, there’s Townsville up six spots at number twelve, Coffs Harbour up fifteen spots at thirteen, Port Douglas up 20 places at fourteen and Byron Bay up fifteen spots at fifteen.

Nicole McLennan, Section Leader, Economic Development and Tourism, City of Coffs Harbour said, “It’s fantastic and exciting news that the Coffs Coast is ranking in the top 20 most searched destinations… but not unsurprising as our region continues to shine.

“In the last six months we have celebrated the first anniversary of the Coffs Coast becoming NSW’s first ECO Destination, and our region placed in the top three at the global Green Destinations Story Awards (Culture and Tradition) with a story based on our local award-winning Gumbaynggirr tourism experiences.

“And there are now nine ecotourism-certified businesses and experiences on the Coffs Coast… so with all this good news, it’s no wonder visitors are searching for Coffs.

“The Coffs Coast is a much-loved holiday destination.

“Visitors know it delivers good value, there are plenty of activities to keep all the family happy, and plenty of prospects for relaxation, topped off with a welcoming, unpretentious vibe.”

Nicole says there are so many ways to enjoy the Coffs Coast’s enviable climate and environment, from bushwalking in our National Parks in the beautiful Orara Valley, mountain biking on world-class trails, and diving in the Solitary Island Marine Park, to playing a round of golf on one of our many popular courses, and picnicking in our beautiful Botanic Garden.

“We know that our uncrowded beaches continue to draw visitors, as does an increasing variety of food and beverage hot spots across the city and Coffs Coast villages.

“And we are also fortunate to have a number of cool and quirky attractions that can only be found on the Coffs Coast; the Butterfly House, Clog Barn, National Cartoon Gallery and Sealy Lookout (Nigi Nigi) are all holiday favourites alongside the Big Banana Fun park and Dolphin Marine Conservation Park and our iconic and historic Jetty and Marina.”

The City of Coffs Harbour’s destination team is also passionate about creating the best promotion for the Coffs Coast.

“Across social media we have seen an increase in engagement by focusing on the work of local photographers and stories of the people behind our tourism businesses.

“Our team has also worked with many operators over the past twelve months to help them improve their online presence and be more confident with their promotion.

“And several collaborative marketing campaigns with major airlines, magazines and television shows, have also delivered great results.”

The place to find all the information about the Coffs Coast, including lots of holiday activities, is the visitor website www.coffscoast.com.

Up to 30,000 people each month use this site to read the stories, find places to stay, play and eat, and plan their next Coffs Coast getaway.

*Search sessions between 23 March and 29 March 2023 with check-in dates between 7 April and 10 April 2023.

For comparison figures Bookings.com looked at search sessions between 24 March and 30 March 2022.

By Andrea FERRARI