A drive to raise awareness of what Herts has to offer and provide a welcome boost for the county’s tourism and leisure businesses has been a big success, say organisers.

Thousands of bids have been received from people who want to bag tickets and take part in the first ever Herts Big Weekend, which will be staged over the weekend of Saturday and Sunday, March 12 and 13 – but there are still a few tickets up for grabs!

New tourism service Visit Herts say that so far more than 13,000 bids have been received for the free tickets on offer as part of the initiative, which aims to boost tourism and support leisure businesses by giving locals the chance to discover – or rediscover – a huge range of attractions and activities which are on their doorstep.

The ballot for tickets has now closed, but there’s still a chance to bid for returned and unclaimed tickets through the www.hertsbigweekend.co.uk website.

Nearly 50 businesses donated tickets, with the Harry Potter thrills available at the Warner Brothers Studio Tour complex at Leavesden proving to be the biggest draw.

Paradise Wildlife Park and Knebworth House both featured in the top five, along with St Michael’s Manor Hotel in St Albans and Brocket Hall near Welwyn.

Other tickets included entry to heritage sites, gardens, parks, museums, sports and leisure facilities, and food and drink experiences with Hitchin’s British Schools Museum, Hitchin Lavender, Royston Museum, Royston Cave and Stotfold Watermill all taking part.

The attractions which came on board also donated more than 200 tickets to The Family Holiday Association, a national charity which gives families in need the chance to enjoy a special day out.

Visit Herts joint project manager David Curtis-Brignell said: “We are thrilled with the response to the first ever Herts Big Weekend – 13,000 applications is an amazing starting point!

“People often forget how much there is to see and do right on their doorstep, and we want to show people who live in Hertfordshire that they don’t need to travel very far to have an unforgettable day out.

“We hope that everyone who bid for tickets has been inspired by the wealth of offers available, and that we will see plenty of people enjoying a fantastic Big Weekend this March.”

There will also be a selfie competition where ticket holders can post a selfie of themselves enjoying the #HertsBigWeekend on Twitter or Instagram for the chance to win a special prize.