by Trevor Sturgess

In cash-strapped times, the tourist industry will have to do even more itself to "put heads in beds and bums on seats."

That was the message from John Penrose, tourism and heritage minister, during a visit to Chatham Historic Dockyard.

At a conference on tourism and the economy, staged by Rochester Cathedral Business Guild, he told experts that with less public money to spend on tourism, the industry had to change its culture.

Tourism was not down to Government, it belonged to the people in it. "We want industry to do even more to put heads in beds and bums on seats," he said.

While Mr Penrose was praised by delegates for "getting" the importance of tourism, the Government came under fire for slashing spending on an industry with the ability to give a quick return on investment.

Mr Penrose praised VisitKent for "leading the charge in delivering change."

The Historic Dockyard, which is bidding for World Heritage Site status, was a "superb piece of industrial heritage."

VisitKent chairman Amanda Cottrell, who was celebrating her 70 birthday, said Kent has achieved good things without public handouts. "We have to get used to doing it ourselves," she said. "We are on our own."