UK screen tourism boost fueled by shows like ‘Bridgeton’

The Manila Times

UK screen tourism boost fueled by shows like ‘Bridgeton’  Tourists from all over the world are flocking to the UK to visit iconic filming locations like Bath, where the hit Netflix show Bridgerton is filmed. Guides providing walking tours there say while the city has always been popular they’ve seen a definite uptick in interest since the show came out. "I absolutely stopped into Bath because I knew it was a filming location," says 20-year-old Australian student Tegan Shirdon. VisitBritain’s Emma Wilkinson says “visitors want to come here because they can almost walk in this real-life film and TV set.”   AFP VIDEO  Subscribe to The Manila Times Channel - https://tmt.ph/YTSubscribe  Visit our website at https://www.manilatimes.net    Follow us:  Facebook - https://tmt.ph/facebook  Instagram - https://tmt.ph/instagram  Twitter - https://tmt.ph/twitter  DailyMotion - https://tmt.ph/dailymotion    Subscribe to our Digital Edition - https://tmt.ph/digital    Check out our Podcasts:  Spotify - https://tmt.ph/spotify  Apple Podcasts - https://tmt.ph/applepodcasts  Amazon Music - https://tmt.ph/amazonmusic  Deezer: https://tmt.ph/deezer  Tune In: https://tmt.ph/tunein   #TheManilaTimes  #worldnews  #brigerton  #touristplace

Transcript

00:00It's good, doesn't it?

00:12It's good, isn't it?

00:27It's good, isn't it?

00:41Well, I would say that watching Bridgerton definitely influenced my decision to come to Bath specifically.

00:47I wouldn't say the whole of the UK, but absolutely I stopped in to Bath because I knew it was a filming location.

00:53So I decided to spend two nights here on my way to Wales.

00:56There's not really much filmed back home where I am, so if I want to see any sets of TV shows,

01:02I really have to come on a 17-hour flight to the other side of the world.

01:06So I would say that it's really interesting that people do go and do that.

01:10I didn't really know it was super popular, but I can see why now after going on the tour,

01:15why people want to visit all the filming locations.

01:17Britain is really attractive for screen tourism because of the sheer volume of productions that are shot here.

01:23And our latest research shows that I think it's around 91% of international visitors want to come to Britain

01:29and see something that they've seen on film or TV, which is huge.

01:33And actually, I think around 70% of visitors who have been here have actually gone to somewhere that they've seen on film or TV.

01:39We see it for Britain, it being a really big trend and a big driver right now.

01:44And I think, you know, Britain definitely has so many productions shot here.

01:48I think it almost rivals Hollywood, for example.

01:51So I think it's something that we can really own.

01:53You know, the creative industries are thriving in Britain,

01:56and we're able to link those creative industries to the amazing visitor experiences.

02:01And for Britain, you know, we see film and TV as our shop window to the world,

02:06and we want to use that to invite visitors to come and have an amazing time.

02:09You've got the iconic landmarks.

02:11You know, we've got Tower Bridge here behind us, seen in Spider-Man movie.

02:14You've got all of the amazing sort of heritage houses across the country,

02:18which make perfect backdrops for shows like Bridgerton.

02:21And I think that is why Britain does so well.

02:24It's like you don't need to come and build a set here.

02:26We have a real-life film set.

02:28And that is exactly why I think visitors want to come here,

02:31because they can almost walk in this real-life film and TV set.

02:34I think screen tourism is brilliant for the economy,

02:37because we can see that visitors who come here for screen-related experiences

02:41are spending money in our local economies, and that's what we need to do.

02:45So, you know, research from the British Film Institute

02:47showing that international visitors spend £892 million in the UK in 2019

02:53on screen tourism experiences, you know,

02:55is absolutely testament to the value that it brings into Britain,

02:59supporting our local businesses.

Category

Transcript

Recommended