Page 71 - WTM Industry Report

World Travel Market 2017 Industry Report
TV fuelling tourism
One in 10 holidaymakers have booked a holiday to visit locations “seen on screen”, re ecting the wider trend for ‘set-jetting’ which sees lm and television locations become holiday hotspots.
Shows mentioned by respondents include Inspector Montalbano – an Italian crime drama set in Sicily – and A Place in the Sun, which offers advice about buying homes abroad.
With Brits booking more than 45 million
overseas holiday trips each year, this could mean that 4.5 million foreign holidays annually are taken in locations inspired by TV shows.
There is plenty of potential in the UK domestic market too – about 53 million staycations are taken each year, suggesting that more than ve million could be heading for destinations they have enjoyed watching on TV.
Tourist boards and tour operators are taking advantage of the “screen tourism” trend, and developing marketing campaigns and itineraries to promote the locations to fans.
One of the most popular TV shows is Game of Thrones, which has been lmed in locations as far apart as Iceland, Northern Ireland, Croatia, Spain, Morocco and Malta.
The Croatian National Tourist Of ce will be at WTM London to highlight its popularity among ‘Throners’ who are keen to see cities such as Dubrovnik and Split, which have been backdrops for the drama in Game of Thrones.
Tourism Ireland promotes Northern Ireland as Game of Thrones® Territory and runs worldwide marketing campaigns to woo visitors to its shores.
Within the UK, many tour operators
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