In the 12 months to March, the number of day-trippers in the region dropped by 7.6 per cent, while the average trip expenditure increased by 21.2 per cent.

NSW Business Chamber regional manager, Andrew Cottrill, believes the drop in arrivals reflects the subconscious effects of capital city news tone.

"When conditions are drier, there tends to be a discussion of how the region is doing it tough on the news, and people often decide not to travel there," Mr Cottrill said.

"There is some exciting news with the expenditure, and I think it impresses the value of tourism to our economies.

"It's something the government needs to invest in, more support for regional businesses to rebuild their visitor numbers."

In the past year, 1,532,000 day-trippers visited the Riverina, each spending an average of $145 during their stay.

With most visitors travelling domestically and staying for an average of three nights, Mr Cottrill said there is huge scope to increase the region's tourism economy.

"Short stay accommodation has grown rapidly right across the region," he said.

"But it's supplementary to the hotel and motel industries with our major city's occupancy rates still very high, and you can see that through the huge amount spent on high-end accommodation builds."

The statistics are primarily built through the growth and income of tourist attractions. In Wagga, there are currently 603 tourist attractions that cumulatively employ up to 400 people.

"Looking at what a city has to offer and how many people are employed is a critical factor in determining the success of its industry," Mr Cotrill said.

Most visitors to the Riverina, and particular to Wagga, come either as a brief holiday stay or to visit friends and family.

"That's always been a big thing in our region. People tend to retire to the regions and their young families return to visit them at peak times during the year.

"But we'd like to turn that around by having our young people being gainfully employed in the regions, and their families coming to visit them from the outer areas."