More people are choosing to stay in the UK to take a holiday because of the chaos of the traffic-light travel system, but where are they spending the most money?

A new study has revealed the staycation destinations in Kent where visitors are spending their hard earned cash while making the most their time away from the office.

Some areas are thriving more than others as people swap flight tickets for petrol money.

According to data analysed by gambling.com, Swale – which includes Faversham, Sittingbourne, Sheerness, and Leysdown and other parts of the Isle of Sheppey – is performing the best when it comes to people spending money in shops.

The borough has seen a 7% rise in retail spending on pre-pandemic levels and an 86% increase in people spending in parks, holiday parks and public gardens.

Retail and recreation sectors have seen a massive spike in activity in certain areas of the county, especially in holiday home hotspots.

But it's the leisure industry which fares best in Sevenoaks, where there has been a 92% rise in people spending money in parks, holiday parks and public areas.

As well as Swale, Folkestone & Hythe and Dover have also seen an increase in retail spending since the start of the pandemic.

Folkestone & Hythe has seen a 6% rise in the amount of money being spent in shops and cafes and a 44% increase in the amount of cash being spent on leisure activities.

Dover has seen a 3% rise in retail spending and a 41% increase in pubic parks and other leisure areas.

However, Dartford, Maidstone and Thanet have seen a decrease in retail spending, but each area has seen a rise when it comes to spending in parks.

In Dartford, there has been a 2% decrease in the amount people are spending in shops and cafes, but a 33% rise in spending in parks, holiday parks and public gardens.

The only place to be below pre-pandemic levels in park spending is Gravesham, which has seen a 16% decrease.

Ashford's retail spending level was 16% below what it was before the coronavirus crisis.

Maidstone has seen a 4% decrease in the amount people are spending in stores.

However, the area has seen a 50% increase in people spending in parks, holiday parks and public gardens.

To put the numbers into perspective, Greater Manchester came last (289th) in the staycation spending rankings.

The area has seen a 31% decrease in retail spending and an 8% decrease in parks spending.

A spokesman for Gaming.com said: "The one thing these locations all have in common is the access to scenic panoramic views and access to various places where we, even as residents, forget to visit.

"Now, whether that's having attractions in parks, festivals, or people spending money in public gardens, in terms of business, this has been great to help them get back on their feet.

"Adding to this, Kent may have encouraged tourists to take staycations within this part of the UK, offering just more than a 'stay', and having optional extras included.

"Open spaces act as a secondary cause to provide cafes and restaurants with their customers and will inevitably encourage people to splash the cash."

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