Overseas tourists lured by movie locations

The lure of locations in Britain that have featured in movies are proving more and more of a draw to tourists, it has been claimed.

According to VisitBritain more overseas tourists are being drawn to the practice (known in the industry as set-jetting) in the wake of a number of high-profile movies set in classically British locations.

These include the likes of the Harry Potter movies and this Christmas' big blockbuster The Golden Compass, much of which was filmed amid the dreaming spires of Oxford.

Visit Britain chief executive Tom Wright said: "Set-jetting is a great way of marketing a destination and Britain's popularity as a location for many of the biggest films has helped VisitBritain to lead the way in capitalising on this 'screen magic'.

"If the right film is chosen, it acts as free advertising for a destination, location or attraction; shown to millions of people around the world."

Mr Wright's testimony to the power of being featured in a film over tourist numbers was born by a VisitBritain survey showing that 40 per cent of potential tourists to the UK said they are "very likely" to visit locations that have featured in movies or on TV.

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