Here at Time Out, we’ve known for a while that Kentish seaside town Whitstable is a proper gem of a place – it is, after all, a regular feature on our list of the best day trips from London. However Whitstable is often overlooked by tourists in favour of its more famous neighbour, Margate.
Until now, that is. Whitstable is finally getting some much-deserved attention from social media users.
Earlier this month a TikTok highlighting the town’s charm and beauty amassed almost 1.5 million views and over 146,000 likes. Posted by @the.wanderlust.blonde, the video encourages viewers to take the short one-hour, 20-minute train journey from London to check out everything Whitstable has to offer.
The nine-second-long clip features the uber aesthetic pastel-pink Wheelers Oyster Bar (where Daniel Craig was once spotted dining) and The Lobster Shack, a beach bar with regular live music and impressive ocean views.
@the.wanderlust.blonde A must visit town for seafood lovers 🦞 🦪 #visitkent #uktrip #uktravelblogger #thisprettyengland #beautifulengland #ukdestinations #uktraveldiaries #uktravelspots #scenicbritain #unlimitedbritain #uktravels #exploreengland #ukhiddengems #countrysideuk #placesintheuk #englandtrip #ukadventure #traveluk #uktravel #exploreuk #kentuk #kentcoast #kentlife #southengland #visitengland #travelblogger #englandtravel #uktraveller #travelengland #whitstable ♬ original sound - Katie
One resident told the Sun that the new attention is ‘fantastic’. He said ‘It’s London by the sea. We love the tourism and how it’s driven by TikTok. It’s very special.
‘It’s great to be able to help out tourists who maybe don’t know where they are. I’ve lived here 20 years and it never used to be like this. It’s just taken off and become huge. It’s amazing seeing people from all over the world visit.’
Mark Stubbs, head chef at Wheeler’s Oyster Bar, told the newspaper that there has been a ‘tidal wave’ of new visitors thanks to the online attention and says more influencers would be welcome.
He added: ‘The town is iconic and it’s amazing it’s getting all of this attention. It’s the sort of people who might not usually come down here. We survive on the back of tourism so think it’s tremendous.’
Did you see that these are officially the best family-friendly destinations in the UK for summer 2023?
Stay in the loop: sign up to our free Time Out UK newsletter for the latest UK news and the best stuff happening across the country.