This summer's Open teed up a handsome £77m for Kent's economy.

Research by organisers the R&A show that direct economic benefit was worth £24.1m, with a further £52.6m from tourism promotion.

The tournament at Royal St George's, Sandwich - won by Darren Clarke - was worth an estimated £21.2m to Canterbury, Thanet, Dover and Shepway.

R&A chief executive Peter Dawson was delighted that the Open had "delivered a significant economic impact to the local community."

The tourism legacy benefit from almost 300 hours of scenic images of the Kent countryside, seen across the world, "will pay back in the county for years to come."

Kent County Council leader Paul Carter said: "The Open was the largest major global sports event that Kent has accommodated in recent years.

"Not only did it lead to a golf legacy project involving many hundreds of people in the county trying golf for the first time, but it boosted the profile of the area nationally and internationally, which should help in our efforts to secure inward investment, tourism and jobs for East Kent."

Around 180,000 people attended the tournament, with 37,000 travelling by HS1 Javelin trains from St Pancras International.

Flybe's total bookings at Manston soared by 70% in July, with a 40% increase in bookings on the carrier's Edinburgh service.

The success of Kent's Open is likely to persuade R&A officials to bring it back to the county within 10 years.