A coastal town in Kent saw a massive 140% increase in Google searches for hotels in April and May.

But despite reports of an expected staycation boom this summer, some hosts are not convinced this will be their busiest ever.

Herne Bay had the second biggest increase in interest across UK seaside resorts, according to new research.

Clacton-on-Sea topped the list with a 175% rise, according to analysis of Google search data by Salesfire.

Two other Kent towns also feature in the top 10.

Ramsgate saw a 131.58% surge in interest, while Broadstairs had a 127.59% increase.

However, hosts in the county are reporting fewer bookings than expected as Brits gear-up for staycations amid uncertainty over Covid travel rules.

Tania Hoser, who rents out a penthouse in the centre of Canterbury, said she has not had a rush of staycationers.

“I’ve got friends who are especially busy but I’m not. I'm probably less busy than normal,” she said.

“Most of my Airbnb guests come for conferences and weddings.

“They’re not staycationing, but if they do they’re international tourists that do it if they’re travelling by themselves.”

Whitstable councillor and Airbnb host Chris Cornell said more people are having shorter stays than previous years.

“It will be a very busy summer and most holiday let owners I have spoken to are busier in the mid-week than they would expect to be in a normal year.

“I would expect that to continue into the summer period but a lot of people have also hiked their prices too.”

However, he said the year will be “pretty lousy” overall.

“I’m not convinced it will be the busiest summer but it will be better than we were expecting,” he added.

Blair Hart, who runs Ellenden Farm Glamping near Whitstable, says he thought it would be higher demand this year.

“Even though we opened late last year due to Covid, we were busy,” he said.

“We are finding this year, the weekends are all busy with a lot of repeat customers but I think people are a little uncertain still.”

Manager of Belvidere Place in Broadstairs, Peter Manners, said: "We have been the busiest we have been ever, so far. But unlike probably most of the hotels in the area, we are not on most of the booking systems.

"Belvidere Place had its busiest June but there is still availability in July and August.

"Mid-week bookings are much higher than previous years and I hope that to continue into August and September.

"It’s a small boutique place so we don’t have families, children or pets here, so it’s more the ‘Down from Londoners’."

Salesfire, an eCommerce and travel retail specialist, saw a 46% decrease in online revenue for travel sites when restrictions were changed on June 3 - with Portugal moved to the amber list and many others to the red list.

This was compared to a massive increase in revenues on travel sites with spending rising by more than 120% when the original green list was introduced on May 7.

Rich Himsworth, CEO of Salesfire, said: "The trend of holiday makers booking flights and hotels online is nothing new, although historically this traffic has primarily been towards destinations in Europe and across the world.

"The ongoing uncertainty around travel and quickly changing restrictions have reversed this trend and hotels, as well as tourist destinations, bars and restaurants, across the country are now benefitting from a huge surge in interest for a getaway to the UK’s coastal towns and resorts.

"It’s not only the most famous seaside destinations such as Blackpool and Brighton that are seeing a rise in searches. Many smaller locations are witnessing unprecedented demand for accommodation, which is great news for British seaside towns!”

Meanwhile, second home owners in Kent have been urged to rent their properties on Airbnb in preparation for a tourism stampede - with figures showing 17,000 sit empty across the county.

The bosses of property management firm Houst have identified Kent as an area expecting one of the largest increases in tourism as staycationers rush to book British beach holidays this year.

But they say the county is facing a shortage of hotels and traditional accommodation.

Data from Kent County Council released last year reveals there are 17,275 empty properties and 8,755 second homes across Kent.

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