According to the Hunter Valley Visitor Information Centre more than 8900 visitors came to the Hunter over the five-day break, up 51 per cent from last year.

Pokolbin and Broke were the top of Sydneysiders list of places to visit over the break with accommodation snapped up.

Locals were hard pressed to get a table at any vineyard restaurant with most fully booked.

Lake St Clair was also a popular destination with about 350 campers plus day trippers choosing to spend their break at the popular recreation spot.

The figures released by the Hunter Valley Visitor Information Centre indicate the Hunter Valley tourism industry is slowly turning around 20 months of negative growth following the global financial crisis.