VisitBritain promotes the country's regions through film: the Starring GREAT Britain campaign

Film as a way to spread tourists across the country

Many tourists visiting the UK limit themselves to London without venturing beyond the M25 orbital motorway — as a result, the regions lose out on visitor income. To change this, the national tourism board VisitBritain has been running the Starring GREAT Britain campaign since January 2025, dedicated to real locations where films and TV series were shot. The organisation's website features a map of filming locations and ready-made regional itineraries: for example, a route through the Scottish Highlands includes locations from Outlander, The Diplomat and Downton Abbey. VisitBritain chief executive Patricia Yates told Euronews Travel about the campaign at the World Travel Market exhibition in London.

What the head of VisitBritain says

According to Yates, the task of getting tourists beyond London is addressed in two ways: practically — the country is small, it's a couple of hours' drive from Manchester or Liverpool, and from Manchester you can reach Newcastle and Scotland in three hours — and substantively, through 'engaging storytelling'. 'We see that every region has its own story. And the tourism industry is following us, creating tourism products that international visitors can book,' she noted. The campaign page is constantly updated after new films are released: this year Wuthering Heights was added, and after the release of the new Harry Potter series the list will be expanded. Set-jetting — travelling to filming locations — has remained a notable trend for several years: various destinations have recorded growth in visitor numbers thanks to Game of Thrones, The White Lotus and Dune.

Caution with overcrowded places

In many European countries the concentration of tourists in cities is already provoking protests from local residents, and VisitBritain takes this experience into account: although London, according to Yates, is coping with the current flow, the organisation does not promote small places that are approaching their capacity limit. 'We promote places where there is infrastructure, where there are opportunities, and where they want to welcome visitors at that time of year. And we do not promote places that do not want to receive tourists and are already feeling the strain,' she said. Separately, VisitBritain seeks to attract 'good' tourists — those who stay longer and want to explore a destination in more depth. Yates also highlighted north-east England: in July, the historical theme park Kynren opened there, where 1,200 local performers re-enact the history of England, while Harry Potter fans are recommended Alnwick Castle in Northumberland, where the broomstick flying lessons scenes were filmed.