Holiday Locations 'More Popular After Screen Exposure'

The popular media of the day influences the appeal of travel destinations and activities. In the past media such as literature, music and poetry have been a major element. A notable example is Ullswater in the Lake District where William Wordsworth penned the classic ‘Daffodils’.

The visual arts have taken this to the extreme with such famous locations as Tunisia becoming a popular holiday destination due to sets in the country being used to film the Stars Wars movies.

Locations in Britain featured in films and television programmes have also encouraged an increase in tourism, it has been claimed. According to a leading tourism magazine, places in the UK featured in movies such as Pride & Prejudice, the Da Vinci Code and Gosford Park has seen larger visitor figures.

This means that people could be looking to take out a travel insurance policy and heading to locations seen in British movies Adulthood and the James Bond adventure Quantum of Solace.

Screen time is making areas more popular, according to a spokesman from the magazine. He said: "Villages like Goathland, in the North Yorkshire Moors used in the Heartbeat TV series and attractions like Alnwick Castle in Harry Potter, have also seen visitor figures more than double as a direct result of being seen on screen."

The strongest pull on tourists is from locations set at stately homes, historic and religious sites, and rural or village landscapes.  The chief executive of the UK Film Council, said: "British films and television programmes play a powerful role in showcasing the UK to the rest of the world and boosting tourism."

"There are countless examples of visitors flocking to locations they've seen in films or on TV and the effect can last for years."

It is a terrific benefit that, not only are our films successful, but their locations are becoming destinations in their own right as people seek to relive their favourite movie moments.

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