VisitBritain, the United Kingdom’s national tourism agency, has launched a campaign to target film-interested tourists in regions like Australia and Europe.
The campaign, known as “Starring Great Britain”, showcases U.K. filming locations for movie and television franchises such as Spider-Man, Mission: Impossible, and Game of Thrones. Its first video was directed by Academy Award-winning British director Tom Hooper.
“Many of the moments that took your breath away in the cinema were filmed in the United Kingdom. Stunning scenery, amazing cityscapes and great cinematic talent have combined over the years in a truly exceptional way,” said U.K. Tourism Minister 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.”
The U.K.’s tourism industry contributed UK£280 billion (A$558.46 billion) to the country’s economy in 2024, according to the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), and employs more than 4.1 million people.
A study by VisitBritain found in July that nine in 10 prospective visitors to the U.K. would be interested in visiting film or TV locations.
The campaign will target the U.K.’s largest and most valuable inbound tourism markets, including Western Europe, the U.S., the Arabian Peninsula, and Western Europe. Advertisements will be displayed in cities like Paris, Berlin, Dubai, and Jeddah.
The WTTC told the U.K.’s government last week that prohibitive expenses and low investment in tourism could cost the country up to UK£60 billion over the next 10 years.
VisitBritain is “seriously under-funded” compared to other nations’ national tourism agencies, according to the WTTC.
“U.K. taxes are higher than many of its competitors – VAT, no tax-free shopping, employers National Insurance, APD, and now a potential new hotel tax, making the U.K. expensive to operate in and expensive to visit,” said WTTC CEO Julia Simpson.
