When it comes to TV and film, Britain has got it all

Watching a gripping drama play out on a cinema screen can be transporting, taking your imagination on a journey to places new, exciting and unexplored. But what about when a film literally takes you somewhere, when you can walk onto the set?

Film – and, increasingly, television – is a growing driver of tourism in Britain, and quite rightly so. Locations the length and breadth of the country have been seen on the silver and small screens, while very British characters such as James Bond and Bridget Jones have become international icons.

Whether you love costume dramas, action, Bollywood films, sci-fi, or even a certain boy-wizard, Britain has got it all. With more than a third of all potential visitors to Britain wanting to visit places they have seen in movies or on TV, the links between film and tourism are potent ones.

The sheer scale of Britain’s historical and cultural tourism offer, and technical film expertise, have been drawing film-makers for years, from Bollywood to Hollywood to our own world-renowned film industry. Last year the three top earners Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and Bridget Jones’ Baby were all made in the UK, using UK crews, locations and facilities. With Beauty & The Beast, King Arthur, Kingsman, Paddington II, Victoria, Poldark and Sherlock Series 4 there is plenty more to look forward to in 2017.

Regional filming locations offer a great opportunity to promote the whole of Britain and not just the obvious hot spots, and deliver a discernible boost in visitor numbers. Whether that’s Highclere Castle, the real life Downton Abbey, which sold out months in advance every year that Downton was screened, Alnwick Castle which saw visitors increase by 230% with a benefit of £9 million additional spend due to the ‘Potter Effect’, Northern Ireland who have capitalised on the Game of Thrones global popularity or The Crown shining a spotlight on royal locations across Britain…

For more than a decade VisitBritain has been promoting Britain to the world through film, most recently as part of the UK Government’s GREAT Britain campaign and to support the Government’s Global Britain soft power strategy.

We have collaborated on The BFG, Spectre, Skyfall, Paddington, Sherlock Holmes and The Da Vinci Code to name a few, working with major studios including Warner Brothers, Disney, StudioCanal and Sony Pictures. We have worked with local screen commissions and international consumer brand partners, shining the spotlight on destinations seen in films and promoting filming locations across Britain through our global marketing campaigns and networks.

Our collaboration last year with Disney on The BFG saw us adapt #OMGB (Oh My GREAT Britain), the hashtag at the heart of our international marketing campaign, to Oh My GIANT Britain, showing a global audience of millions an unexpected side of amazing, family-friendly moments that can only be experienced in Britain. Our next big film campaign will be around King Arthur…watch this space!

We look forward to working with you and the industry to promote destination Britain to the world through film and TV, driving growth from tourism across our nations and regions.

About VisitBritain

VisitBritain is the strategic body for inbound tourism, and is responsible for promoting the nations and regions of Britain to international visitors. We are a key partner in the GREAT campaign, working closely with the FCO, Department for International Trade, and the British Council to promote Britain as a great place to visit.

Tourism contributes £127 billion to Britain’s economy – around 9% of GDP – and incorporates over 200,000 SMEs.  2015 set a record for inbound tourism with 36 million visits. 2016 is set to be another record-breaking year and we are forecasting +4% growth in visits and +8% in spend in 2017. The potential for growth is enormous: Tourism needs no trade deals, tourism can spread growth and jobs right across the country and create jobs quickly at all skill levels. Tourism is also a crucial part of the government’s soft power strategy. We know that visiting Britain influences whether people choose to invest and trade with British companies.