Figures for the 2009 March quarter show the number of domestic overnight visitors was down by 9.2 per cent on the year ending March 2008, and they spent 8.9 per cent fewer nights in the region.

Daytrips to the region also slumped, down by 11.2 per cent, although Tourism NSW said year-on-year trends might be misleading as the year ending March 2009 did not include an Easter period.

Hunter tourism chief Sheridan Ferrier said that was likely to be the first taste of a downturn in the domestic market in response to the global financial crisis.

"It will be the next lot of figures that will show the effect of the economic crisis because we did have a really good Christmas, and going into that March/April/May time was when we expected to have a downturn on last year," she said.

"The impact is still to come. But we are hearing different things from around the region. Lake Macquarie has done really well . . . with families coming up. It's a cheaper holiday, and people have shifted to park-type holidays, and Newcastle is very strong in the corporate market."

The Hunter Valley was one of the areas doing it tough due to a downturn in the conference market, she said.

The international market was relatively steady with a slight increase of 2.2 per cent on the year ending March 2008, with overseas visitors spending $129 million in the region.

Domestic overnight visitors spent $801 million in the region, an average of $150 a night, including airfares and transport costs, while daytrippers spent $439 million, an average of $103 a trip.