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INDUSTRY UK

Stately homes on film pull in tourists

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For the British tourism industry, the benefits of the film industry can clearly be summed up as location, location, location. Thanks to being captured on film, many British tourist attractions have experienced a dramatic rise in visitor numbers according to a new report.

Stately Attraction - How Film and Television Programmes Promote Tourism in the UK by Olsberg|SPI commissioned by the UK Film Council, Film London and other film and tourism bodies reveals that locations for films such as Harry Potter, The Da Vinci Code, Gosford Park and Pride & Prejudice [+see also:
trailer
film profile
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have become increasingly popular with tourists. The locations most likely to inspire tourism are stately homes, historic and religious buildings and rural or village landscapes.

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Alnwick Castle, the location for Hogwarts, saw a 120% rise in visitors post the Harry Potter releases. The films are estimated to have brought in £9 million in tourist revenues. And Kings Cross station recently erected a Platform 93/4’ plaque. Another Potter location – Gloucester Cathedral – had a 50% rise in visitors. Similarly, Pride & Prejudice locations Burghley House and Basildon Park saw a 20% and 76% rise in numbers respectively.

Of course, the most famous example remains Notting Hill that inspired crowds of international tourists to visit a relatively unknown area and boosted real estate prices.

John Woodward, CEO 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.”

Minister for Film and Tourism, Margaret Hodge said, “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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