Tourism champions Visit Kent have been awarded funding to share its research with businesses and organisations on both sides of the Channel.

The body has been allocated £76,700 to develop the findings of past European research programmes to help companies in the sector develop new products and services targeting markets nearby.

The money – taken from the 2 Seas Interreg’s £213,859 pot – will also be used to host a conference in April of tourism businesses across areas like Pas de Calais, Flanders, The Netherlands, Norfolk and Suffolk.

Held in Ashford, it will present the research findings, with speakers looking at innovative ways to grow sustainable tourism between neighbouring areas.

This will be followed by a Cross Border Greeter Conference in the Pas de Calais in June, to discuss the contribution greeters are making to local visitor economies and how success stories, such as Kent’s walking and cycling greeters, can be developed.

Visit Kent chief executive Sandra Matthews-Marsh said: “Our past Interreg projects have already contributed greatly to the Kent visitor economy and our very popular volunteer greeter programme.

“Our partners have experienced similar benefits from their different areas of research.

"We have formed new relationships and partnerships as we have worked together and gained insights that no single area could have achieved on its own.

“This next phase will enable us to share all that information much more widely with the Kent business people and entrepreneurs who deliver our visitor economy throughout the year.

“It will also bring businesses and volunteers from either side of the Channel together to develop new networks and exciting marketing and promotional opportunities.”