The impact of the bushfire crisis on businesses in southern Riverina has been "nothing short of extraordinary", according to state Tourism Minister Stuart Ayres.
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The minister is joining calls for people to "spend up big" in fire-affected areas, speaking with business owners during his visit to the region on Thursday.
"The most important message is to say to communities 'what we really need now is your business'," he said.
"We need people to get back out to communities who have been shut down or haven't had the visitors over the last few months - places like Khancoban, Tumbarumba are open for business.
"Do the road trip - that is the single most important way to help those struggling businesses."
Member for Albury Justin Clancy challenged locals to put their hand up and visit towns in the Upper Murray and surrounds.
"Visitors in our towns are really important and vital to stimulating those economies," he said.
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"It is also a cross-border effort, we know tourists, visitors go across borders so we want visitors to not just visit Khancoban, Tumut, but to visit Corryong and right up along the Upper Murray.
"Any form of tourism, whether it be people visiting friends and relatives, simply visiting the destination or corporate tourism, all of it is going to help boost those local economies."
Mr Ayres said even communities that hadn't been "flame affected" had been feeling the pinch.
"We have seen drop-offs in some locations as much as 90 per cent of their takings across December and January and for a lot of locations, these months are the most important of the year," he said.
"There are a lot of businesses really doing it tough."
The NSW Business Chamber has also launched a campaign to bring business back to fire and drought affected towns.
The chamber is calling on businesses to pledge their support in Backing the Bush and hold a board, management or staff meeting in one of the impacted areas between now and the end of 2020.
"The support from corporate Australia to the bushfire and drought relief efforts has been outstanding, and this is the next piece of the puzzle to sustain small businesses, and their staff, in these affected areas especially during what is their quiet time," Riverina Murray regional manager Andrew Cottrill said.
"The next step is for metro companies to hold meetings in one of these impacted towns.
"There is also a great opportunity for Riverina Murray businesses who can spend time and money in these impacted communities."
