New VisitBritain campaign taps into...

Nine in 10 potential visitors to the UK keen to visit movie locations

VisitBritain has rolled out a global campaign highlighting the UK’s starring role in blockbuster movies and TV shows.

‘Starring GREAT Britain’ uses the powerful draw of film and TV locations and places seen on screen to inspire GCC visitors and others to discover more of the country.

Research by VisitBritain shows more than 90% of potential visitors to the UK would be keen to visit film locations.

The campaign’s launch film, directed by Academy Award-winning Tom Hooper (The King’s Speech), is part of a wider advertising campaign across valuable inbound markets including the GCC.

The first phase of the campaign runs until the end of March 2025 in the GCC. People will be able to see the campaign in cinemas across the UAE and Saudi Arabia, on digital billboards and on social media.

“Britain’s destinations are the real star of the show as we harness the powerful draw of screen tourism to attract visitors from the GCC and drive their spending across our nations and regions, boosting local economies,” said Patricia Yates, CEO of VisitBritain.

“Using film and TV as the hook, we’re telling the story of Britain today, showcasing our dynamic and diverse destinations and putting our welcome centre stage.”

The film showcases locations and clips from movies as diverse as Mission Impossible, Harry Potter, Paddington and Spider-Man, and television shows such as Succession and House of Dragon.

Britain is bursting with Harry Potter filming locations, from King’s Cross station’s Platform 9¾ with its disappearing luggage to York’s wonky timber-framed version of Diagon Alley and the cloisters of Gloucestershire Cathedral.

Meanwhile, London is the star of many Paddington and Mission Impossible films, with the Portobello Road a favourite spot for the bear from Peru, and the setting for some of Tom Cruise’s most memorable stunts, including sliding down St Paul’s Cathedral roof.

Paddington Bear Experience, London

“Many of the moments that took your breath away in the cinema were filmed in the United Kingdom,” said Tourism Minister Sir Chris Bryant. “We want visitors from home and abroad to experience them first-hand by immersing themselves in the scenery and locations made famous thanks to film and TV.”

Inbound tourism to the UK was worth an estimated £32.5 billion (US$40.4 billion) to the economy in 2024 in visitor spending.

VisitBritain estimates there will be 1.4 million visits from the GCC to the UK in 2025, with visitors spending £3.6 billion (US$4.5 billion).

With the growing airline connectivity through regional gateways alongside the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) scheme, travel to the UK is easily accessible for GCC nationals.

For more information, visit www.visitbritain.com

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