Kent is gearing up for a tourism boom on its big weekend on March 21 and 22.

More than 103,000 applications were made for 20,000 free tickets to more than 115 attractions in My Big Kent Weekend, part of English Tourism Week.

Animals were the biggest draw, with Howletts Wild Animal Park, Port Lympne Reserve and Wingham Wildlife Park being the most popular.

Castles, heritage sites, museums, art galleries, music tours, breweries, vineyards, sports lessons, pottery courses, light railways and children’s entertainment were among the other attractions.

Organiser Visit Kent is hoping that non-ticket holders will also join in the fun.



Chief executive Sandra Matthews-Marsh MBE said: “This is such an exciting time of year for us.

“We always embrace English Tourism Week in Kent, in order to highlight just how important the tourism industry is to the UK economy.

“The Big Weekend is our end-of-week party, where we see thousands of people getting out and about and falling love with their county again.

“In our busy lives, finding time to enjoy ourselves can seem impossible. But we often forget how much there is to see and do right on our doorstep. You don’t need to travel very far to have an unforgettable day out.

“And everyone visiting one of the attractions taking part has a chance to win even more free days out with our Kent Big Weekend selfie competition – so don’t forget the cameras!”

Go to visitkent.co.uk for more information.