Politicians have been given tours of some of the county's top tourist spots as the annual Kent Big Weekend extends throughout July this month.

The event - which sees free tickets to top attractions for those living in the county awarded through a ballot - kicked off last weekend and runs until July 23.

More than 5,000 tickets were donated by destinations around Kent.

Tonbridge MP Tom Tugendhat joined Deirdre Wells, the chief executive of the county's tourism organisation Visit Kent, on a trip round Hever Castle to see how it was welcoming back visitors in-line with government Covid guidance.

The Visit Kent chief said: “This has been an incredibly challenging year for our industry, and we are delighted to be finally able to welcome visitors back to our beautiful county. We are delighted to have so many partners involved this year and it was great to be able to showcase all that Kent has to offer to our Parliamentarians. We look forward to continuing to work with them as we emerge from the pandemic to support our vital industry and the 80,000 Kent jobs they support."

Rosie Duffield, MP for Canterbury, visited the Wildwood Trust and the Canterbury Roman Museum.

Wildwood's director of conservation, Laura Gardner, said: “There’s never been a better time to showcase the rich variety of attractions that Kent has to offer, so we’re delighted to be part of the Big Weekend campaign.

"We’ve been overwhelmed by the positive response we’ve had from visitors since we reopened. It’s been wonderful to see people reconnecting with nature and enjoying all the animals and the experiences we offer."

Elsewhere, Maidstone MP Helen Grant visited the Balfour Winery at the Hush Heath Estate in Marden while Damian Green, MP for Ashford, was welcomed to Hole Park Gardens where he also had the opportunity to see preparations for the venue’s upcoming Wealden Times Midsummer Fair. Meanwhile Gordon Henderson, MP for Sittingbourne and Sheppey experienced the Bredgar and Wormshill Light Railway.

The Kent Big Weekend normally stretches over one weekend but has been extended to a month-long event due to the pandemic.

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