“NOVOCASTRIANS are tipped to visit Hunter Valley vineyards more frequently after the expressway opens today.
Hunter Valley Wine and Tourism Association general manager Gus Maher said the expressway reduced the journey from Newcastle CBD to the vineyards to 30 minutes, which would entice people to come and enjoy a few hours of food and wine among the vines.
He said Sydney tourists, the major market for wine tourism, would take longer to coax up the M1 until they realised how easy it was to use the expressway and take one of three nearby exits.
The association will soon launch a tourism campaign with major hotels in Sydney and Destination NSW to promote the city’s proximity to the vineyards.”