Kent’s top tourist attractions have been revealed today – and Canterbury is number one.

Research by tourism group Visit Kent showed the city, and specifically its cathedral, is our most popular destination.

Nearly half of all tourists to the county went to Canterbury, while 32 per cent went to Dover and 22 per cent visited the seaside town of Folkestone.

Nineteen per cent of visitors chose to go to Ashford and the research shows its Designer Outlet centre is the town's most visited attraction.

Culture boss at Ashford council Cllr Bernard Heyes, pictured, said he was delighted that Ashford and Tenterden both appear in the top 10 places to visit in Kent.

He said: "In Ashford, the council is working on a new heritage trail around the town to encourage more visitors.

"Over the past three years we have worked closely with the local community on the Tenterden Improved project to produce new tourism leaflets, walking and heritage trails and new events such as the Food and Drink Festival and Tentertainment.

"Tenterden, as the Jewel of the Weald, is our crowning glory with fascinating history and heritage, and an excellent range of independent shops, pubs and restaurants. It is no surprise that the town comes in at number seven, ahead of some other much bigger towns in Kent."

The authority has its own tourism team that works with Visit Kent to attract more visitors. One of the latest plans is to introduce Tenterden Greeters so that visitors receive a personal welcome from local people.

Also mentioned in the survey of visitors as good places to visit were the Biddenden Vineyards with six per cent of visitors, Tenterden Vineyards with 4.7 per cent of visitors and Smallhythe place with 3.9 per cent.

Cllr Heyes added: "Attractions like the Ashford Designer Outlet and Kent & East Sussex Railway in Tenterden attract thousands of visitors from Kent and further afield every month, while Ashford’s 37-minute rail service to London and daily Eurostar connections to Paris, Lille and Brussels make Ashford an ideal base for national and international tourists."