In years gone by, the forefront of a tourism campaign in Kent would be a winking woman in a halterneck bikini on a vintage kiss-me-quick postcard from Margate.

Marketing the Garden of England has become more sophisticated these days but many onlookers will be surprised the “poster girl” for this year is quite a bit older than those 1940s beach babes, although still very brown.

“We decided to focus on the 800th anniversary of Magna Carta a couple of years ago,” said Visit Kent chief executive Sandra Matthews-Marsh, holding up an edition of the Great Charter bestowed on Faversham in 1300.

“It is going to be one of our standout years for tourism. It is a chance to see something really rare and special. It is one of Kent’s hidden treasures.”

The Faversham edition of the Magna Carta goes on display this weekend at the Alexander Centre in the town, where it will stay for a month before heading out on a tour of Kent until December, stopping in Canterbury, Maidstone, Dover, Sandwich and Rochester.

The legal document, originally signed by King John on June 15, 1215, is not the only thing Mrs Matthews-Marsh hopes will put Kent on the map this year.

More than 200 industry professionals will descend on Ashford and Canterbury for the national conference the Tourism Symposium on June 1 and 2.

“They will see how the county has evolved but it will also be a live demonstration of just how easy we are to access using High Speed 1,” said Mrs Matthews- Marsh.

“We’re very lucky HS1 is bringing new tourists to the county but also people who are relocating here and commute because it’s doable. We are the envy of other destinations who are desperate for better rail connectivity and market reach.”

Mrs Matthews-Marsh has worked at Visit Kent for 10 years and admits she “fell into tourism” after working in the tourist information centre at Hastings Borough Council where she lived.

“I’ve never lost my passion for seaside towns as a result of that. That is why I have such faith in places like Margate.”

The future looks bright, with the London Paramount resort set to be a “game changer” for the hospitality sector.

She believes perceptions of the county have changed.

“A lot of people have heard of Kent but it was about how to encourage people to put it on their to-do list.”