by business editor Trevor Sturgess

A new Christmas market is set to attract 200,000 visitors to Medway and inject up to £10 million into the local economy.

Organisers believe the Dickens Christmas Market, opening on December 3, will come to rival the best in the UK over the next five years and make Rochester an annual winter tourism destination.

Four hundred coaches are already booked to bring thousands of passengers from across the UK, with a further 80,000 visitors expected to attend the Dickens Christmas Festival weekend.

Seventy retailers, including German and Dutch, have booked custom-made wooden chalets for the event in the grounds of Rochester Castle.

It is the brainchild of Bob Cole, who works for the Albatross Group, Larkfield, near Maidstone.

The company specialises in holiday packages for coach companies but formed a new business - Dream Workshop - to develop events, with the first being the Christmas Market.

Sean Taggart, group chief executive, expects retailer numbers to grow to 270 over the next five years.

He expects between 150,000 and 200,000 visitors this year. As for economic impact, he said: "I don't see why it shouldn't be between £5m and £10m."

He said the firm was working with High Street shops to ensure they all benefited.

Mr Cole believes the castle grounds are the perfect venue for a German-style event to rival what Lincoln, Birmingham and other places offer.

"The castle gives it a unique setting," he said. "We all love Christmas and are looking forward to creating the Christmas spirit."

Mr Taggart added: "There is no other Christmas Market of any size in the south east.

"We are already in the top dozen by size and in four years time, it's going to be absolutely huge."