News

Make sure you apply for one of the thousands of free tickets for the county's top tourist attractions that are being given away as part of the Kent Big Day Out 2009.

Taking place on 28 March, the event is all about celebrating what is unique about Kent by offering thousands of free tickets for a wide range of places to local residents. They can then experience at first hand all that their county has to offer them, their friends and family.

Tickets are available for a wide range of Kent's top attractions, including:

• Canterbury Cathedral

• Dickens World

• Ramsgate Swim Centre

• West Malling Golf Club

• White Cliffs and South Foreland Lighthouse

Apply for tickets

The free tickets will be available from 10am on Tuesday 3 March. Book your tickets on the Big Day Out website or through the county's visitor information centres.

Tickets are limited and must be booked in advance.

Success of The Big Day Out 2008

Last year Visit Kent (link opens in a new window) at Kent County Council worked with 130 of the county's many attractions, including castles, historic houses and gardens, steam trains and sports centres, to make more than 16,000 Big Day Out free tickets available for Kent and Medway people. The Visit Kent website had 16,483 hits on the tickets' launch day - a record number for one day.

"The feedback we had from attractions and visitors for our 2008 Kent Big Day Out event was excellent," said Fran Warrington, head of Visit Kent at Kent County Council.

"Ninety-three per cent of visitors said they would recommend the attraction they had explored to their family and friends.

"Research shows that more than 30 per cent of visitors to Kent stay with friends and relatives and rely on their hosts for personal recommendations of what to do while they are in the county. So this is tremendously encouraging news."

Kent County Council cabinet member Kevin Lynes, who has special responsibility for tourism and regeneration, said: "The Kent Big Day Out goes from strength to strength. This event highlights that on our doorstep we have amazing destinations, beautiful gardens and countryside, as well as some activity based attractions for those who like their tourism with added adrenaline.

"Kent Big Day Out is good for the local economy, which relies so much on tourism, and it's good too for local pride. Last year 98 per cent of Kent Big Day Out visitors said it made them proud to live in our county."