With business already up over the last few months thanks to the COVID-inspired regional travel resurgence, the expectation is that things will only get busier once Christmas rolls around.

Those in the accommodation sector are already aware of the influx that awaits, with many booked out well into January.

Holiday officer at Forster Accommodation Centre, Elise Ottey, says their holiday rentals are almost completely booked out from Boxing Day until January 16, and the period leading up to Christmas has been busier than ever.

"This is usually the downtime," she said.

"We've actually had to increase staff because of the influx in calls."

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Over at Forster Main Beach, Dorsal Boutique Hotel owner John Koorey says he booked out for January weeks ago and the biggest challenge is finding enough staff to deal with the demand.

He believes the town has been experiencing Christmas-like crowds for months.

"The car park along the beachfront of a daytime - it's like Christmas every day," Mr Koorey said.

"We've never experienced anything like what we're going through now."

It's not just Forster-Tuncurry expecting big crowds either, with accommodation providers around Pacific Palms and Seal Rocks reporting they've been booked out for months.

The business community is also looking forward to the biggest summer it's seen in some time.

Forster Tuncurry Business Chamber president Megan Lewis says business-owners of all types have been reporting an upturn in trade and she's confident this trend will continue.

"As we're about to go into the major holiday time for our region the expectation is that the tempo will again increase with both new visitors and family and friends visiting," Ms Lewis said.

"This is great news for local business-owners and for the local economy."

Lobby's Fresh Seafood owner Karen Foster believes everything is pointing towards a big season, from the amount of pre-orders they're getting to the time it takes to cross the Forster-Tuncurry bridge of a morning.

"You can see there are a lot more people around and a lot more people visiting," she said.

"Our expectation is that we'll be flat chat from the start of the school holidays until February 1."

Like Mr Koorey, Ms Foster says the business is in need of more staff to keep up with the increased demand.

It's a similar story for Phil Gogerly from Forster-based fishing charter, Reel Ocean Adventures.

Despite having three deckhands already, Mr Gogerly says he's started advertising for more to cover the amount of bookings he's getting.

"It's gone absolutely crazy," he said.

"People are coming from everywhere."

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For all the benefits the boom is expected to bring, Ms Lewis says it's also likely to bring a few inconveniences, and it would be great if customers could keep that in mind.

"It has been a long year so it would be great if people could make sure they stay patient if they have to wait for a little bit or some stock is a little low," she said.

"It's a tough gig running your own business and 2020 has pushed many of our local business-owners to their capacity so please give them a smile, wish them a happy Christmas and let's have an excellent 2021."

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