Tourism chiefs have been unable to persuade the government that a special fund is needed to help the sector cope with Brexit.

The head of the county's tourism agency Visit Kent had put forward the idea amid fears that visit numbers could be hit by potential disruption as the UK leaves the EU.

Deirdre Wells, CEO of Visit Kent, wrote to Jeremy Wright MP, secretary of state for digital, culture, media and sport to outline plans and appeal for funding for a Brexit resilience fund for tourism businesses.

Deirdre Wells and Gavin Cleary from Locate in Kent talk to KMTV about tourism in the county

But the idea has not found favour with the tourism minister Michael Ellis.

He has responded to Visit Kent chairman Jonathan Neame saying he was unable to support the fund proposal. He said the government had already agreed to fund road schemes under Operation Brock designed to keep traffic moving to the tune of £29m.

However, he added that he was prepared to “keep the matter under review.”

Visit Kent had expressed concerns that delays at ports and potential traffic deadlock - particularly on motorways - would “run counter to the message that the UK is a welcoming destination for international business and visitors.”

Tourism is one of the most significant sectors in the county, worth an estimated £3.8bn to the local economy.

Around 60 million day trips are made by visitors, according to Visit Kent figures from 2017, which also indicate that nearly 77,000 have jobs in the sector.

Under the government’s timetable for leaving the EU, the initial weeks after March 29 will run into the Easter Bank Holiday prompting fears that possible delays and disruption could deter visitors at a key time for the tourist trade.