Hunter Valley Wine and Tourism Association says three recent bumper concerts at Hope Estate "couldn't have come at a better time" after recent bushfires hit the vineyards' visitor numbers.
Hope Estate said 38,000 people had attended the Elton John concerts on January 11 and 12 and another 16,000 had watched Cold Chisel on Saturday night.
The vineyard said in a media statement on Sunday that the threat and effects of fires had "directly caused a lull in tourism" and many travellers had cancelled accommodation bookings due to fear of travelling to the Hunter.
"Local cellar doors, including Hope Estate, are experiencing very low foot traffic and receiving many calls regarding the likelihood of bushfires and air quality in the region cancelling the Elton John concert," the statement said.
Tourism association CEO Jessica Sullivan said fires had affected visitor numbers for months, compounding the effects of the drought.
"These superstar concerts couldn't have come at a better time, with the Valley's visitation being the hardest hit from surrounding bushfires occurring since October and increased costs from drought," she said.
Hope Estate said 49 per cent of the Cold Chisel crowd had come from outside the Hunter.
