Collaboration and Connection: How hotels can leverage Screen Tourism

Written by screen tourism expert and speaker at the World Screen Tourism Summit, Seren Welch for the Hotel Marketing Association.

The global phenomenon that is screen tourism or what some refer to as ‘set-jetting’, is where travellers around the world visit filming locations they have seen in their favourite films, TV shows, and even in some cases, video games.

Hit shows such as Game of Thrones, Bridgerton and Peaky Blinders have all been attracting tens of thousands of visitors to filming locations. Visit Britain reported that amongst UK visitors who have taken a leisure trip in the last 10 years, 7 in 10 have visited a film or TV location, and 9 out of 10 potential visitors to Great Britan dream of visiting iconic on-screen locations. Whilst The British Film Institute (BFI) estimate that inbound UK tourists spent £892.6 million in film related screen tourism in 2019. 

Visit Britain’s ‘Starring Great Britain’ campaign also launched earlier this year, includes famous GB destinations and attractions that have featured in blockbuster films and TV shows such as Spiderman Far from Home, and Mission: Impossible – Fallout. The campaign was created to harness the ‘set-jetting’ trend and drive inbound tourism as well as highlight the filming locations of screen favourites. VisitBritain even has a dedicated section on their website that shows the location of Britain’s star film and TV attractions with the majority of Harry Potter filming locations included. Despite the franchise coming to an end, these famous screen tourism destinations and the hotels in them continue to see a huge amount of interest, such as Glencoe in Scotland, Malham Cove in Yorkshire and many more.

This year has seen Highclere Castle return to our screens through Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale, The Salt Path feature Cornwall, 28 Years Later give Newcastle its screen tourism moment and we have Wuthering Heights, and Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man to come.

‘Set-jetting’ is not a new trend given New Zealand’s Lord of the Rings pull but the interest in screen tourism has never been stronger globally. The sheer scale and availability of streamed content means we are never without new narratives to explore and always have instant access to revisit films and dramas that rekindle a nostalgic love. Screen tourism is continuing to gain momentum, and opportunities are particularly growing for hotels in the sector.

From screens to stays: how hotels can capture demand

The work done by the Four Seasons hotel group and the subsequent “The White Lotus effect” shows that it’s not just destinations and attractions that are receiving the spotlight. There was immense interest in the hotels that featured in the 3 seasons of HBO’s The White Lotus’ in Hawaii, Sicily and Thailand. The fourth season has also been confirmed for France with details to be confirmed.

Evidence that Four Seasons have been fuelling the ‘set-jetting’ trend for hotels can also be seen through their 20-day private jet tour offering. Earlier this year, 48 guests flew across the world to see every filming location from the series along with additional luxurious stops. The most recent series in Thailand has also inspired Banyan Tree Samui in Koh Samui to launch a ‘Sense of Lotus’ spa package with guest bookings close to 100% following the series airing.

More and more viewers are becoming inspired by the locations they see on screen and research and book destinations within hours of viewing. Each season of popular Netflix show, Emily in Paris, caused huge spikes in demand for visits to the French capital. A study by Centre National du Cinéma et de l'Image Animée (CNC) found that 4 in 5 international tourists to Paris said they felt ‘an urge to visit’ after seeing a film or TV series set there.

Data is also suggesting that the distance or cost to travel to film locations is not a barrier for viewers, with fans having a deep-seated desire to travel to film sets far and wide. We’ve seen this with global Star Wars fans, who have been flocking into the Tunisian hinterland to visit the Tatooine set as well as the UNESCO site, Skellig Michael in Ireland after featuring in The Force Awakens.

Properties should be vigilant for any nearby productions, particularly if there are long running series being filmed on their doorstep. All Creatures Great and Small has returned to screens again this year, with further opportunities for hotels in the picturesque Yorkshire Dales. With Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man on the horizon and more series’ confirmed for the show, Birmingham and the Black Country will no doubt be a popular choice for set-jetters in 2026 and beyond. Liverpool and Dublin are also likely to be strong screen tourism destinations following Peaky Blinders writer, Steven Knight’s recent creation, House of Guinness.

There is no shortage of opportunities, but it is important to know when and where they are being filmed as well as the release date, to be best placed to leverage all screen tourism opportunities, position the hotel in the right way and to capture demand.

The power of connection

Traditional marketing often appeals to the desire to relax, escape or indulge, whereas screen tourism is different, in that it’s about the connection and emotional engagement viewers have with their favourite screen characters. This can impact their choice of travel destination for many years.

Viewers want to relate to a character’s story and transform into their world. There are so many examples of this - from the stately home lifestyle and period drama and stylish romance of Bridgerton to the fantasy worlds of The Lord of the Rings, their choice to travel is rooted in a story that they connect with.

For hotels, this opens the door to offering experiences and creating a narrative that builds on these emotions. The Crown, Bridgerton and Downton Abbey all provide opportunities to align experiences, including themed afternoon teas, period-inspired dining, or even modern “whodunit” weekends aligned with popular ‘cosy crime dramas’ such as the recent releases of The Thursday Murder Club and Channel 5’s Murder before Evensong. There are many ways in which hotels can drive connection and bring screen moments to life, without needing to be the filming location itself. However, it is important to consider Intellectual Property (IP)  and copyright issues as well as associated name usage. Directly aligning to and using the production brand is possible, but it may require a licensing agreement.

The importance of collaboration

Screen tourism is now not just about chance. Hotels can proactively prepare and be part of the movement. They can work with their local or regional film offices to position themselves as a potential location. Even if your hotel is not able to be a filming location, it can certainly be the facilitator or base for the crew or cast for a production. There are also opportunities to work collaboratively with core locations and be a partner of local repeat locations to build the visitor offer such as Blenheim Palace, Chatsworth House, Bamburgh Castle or the plethora of National Trust properties around the country.

Marketing that works

The most successful marketing activations start early, sometimes before a film or series is even released. As previously mentioned, for hotels, working in partnership with tourist boards, attractions and filming sites maximises impact.

Success also doesn’t always come just from big blockbuster films or TV series. Reality shows are beginning to deliver just as much attention to hotels. Love is Blind UK, for example, film weddings at Wynyard Hall in Stockton-on-Tees, which has gained the hotel enormous extra exposure as a wedding venue.

With the third series of The Traitors in full swing, online searches for where the show is filmed have skyrocketed. As fans can only visit Ardross Castle if they hire the whole property (reportedly at £5,500 per night in low season), there has been interest in similar Scottish castles such as Glenapp Castle so they can get their Traitors fix.

Luxury hotel, Glenapp Castle also offers a tour through the village of Dunure, which is one of the filming locations of the hit series, Outlander. The Netflix show has brought in a huge set-jetting crowd to Scotland with Visit Scotland reporting that one in five tourists are inspired to visit Scotland because of film, TV and books. Their website dedicates several pages to the show, as well as developing a 12-day Outlander tourist Itinerary around the country.

Conclusion: The opportunity ahead for hotels

Screen tourism is not a fleeting trend. It’s now an established driver of travel choices with growing momentum. For hotels, the opportunities lie in being proactive, aligning with local film offices or screen agencies, creating story-driven offers and narratives, as well as working collaboratively with destinations and attractions. Whether as filming locations, production bases, or as the perfect host for screen-inspired travellers, hotels are uniquely placed to benefit from this powerful form of tourism.

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Want to learn more?

There is a conference dedicated to UK Screen Tourism!

Taking place at the International Convention Centre (ICC) in Birmingham on Friday 21 November, SET-JET 25: The World Screen Tourism Summit will bring together the screen tourism community under one roof for the very first time. The Summit programme and speakers can be seen at www.set-jet25.net.