To drive inbound tourism across Britain, national tourism agency VisitBritain has this week launched a global screen tourism campaign, kicking off with a blockbuster-inspired film that sees Britain the star of the show.
The campaign ‘Starring GREAT Britain’ rolls out internationally this week with a launch film drawing on iconic film and TV moments from Mission: Impossible to Bridget Jones; Spider-Man to Succession; House of the Dragon to Harry Potter; Paddington to Fast & Furious to Mary Poppins Returns and more. The film takes viewers on a cinematic journey through Britain, giving them a front row seat to the destinations at the heart of the on-screen action.
The launch film, directed by Academy Award-winning British director Tom Hooper, is supported by a wider advertising campaign which is underway across the UK’s largest and most valuable inbound visitor markets including Australia, the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) countries, France, Germany and the USA.
The campaign comes as VisitBritain’s screen tourism research shows that more than 9-out-of-10 potential visitors to the UK would be keen to visit film and TV locations during a trip.
VisitBritain CEO Patricia Yates said:
“Britain’s destinations are the real star of the show as we harness the powerful draw of screen tourism to attract international visitors and drive their spending across our nations and regions, boosting local economies. Using film and TV as the hook we’re telling the story of Britain today, showcasing our dynamic and diverse destinations and putting our welcome centre-stage.
The first phase of the international advertising campaign got underway from 20 January and runs until the end of March 2025 and is part of a longer-term screen tourism focus by VisitBritain.
As well as the launch film, the multi-media advertising campaign uses a mix of channels to showcase destinations across England, Scotland and Wales as the backdrop to great stories, action and adventure. People will see the campaign on large digital billboards in locations from the famous Kurfürstendamm in Berlin, Germany, to Gare du Nord Station in Paris, France, from the City Walk hub in Dubai, UAE, to the Jeddah Corniche in Saudi Arabia, alongside branded content across social media.
The advertising also directs viewers to a screen-tourism hub on VisitBritain’s global consumer website with itineraries themed around film genres from romance to fantasy, action to adventure, encouraging visitors to broaden their itineraries, discover more regional destinations and stay longer. A digital map links to film inspired locations, attractions and experiences across the nations and regions.
To amplify the campaign and drive bookings, VisitBritain is working with partners including Expedia Group in Australia, France, Germany and the USA. In February, marketing activity through VisitBritain’s GREAT Gateway Innovation Fund kicks off in Germany and the USA to boost inbound visits through regional gateways.
As well as the paid advertising campaign, ‘Starring GREAT Britain’ is being amplified across all VisitBritain’s markets using the powerful reach of its social channels and its work with international travel trade. As part of VisitBritain’s ‘Showcase Britain’ event this month, 120 top travel trade from across 17 markets have been undertaking tailored film-and-TV inspired educational visits across England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, exploring the latest tourism products and experiences to get those sold in international markets.
VisitBritain has invited tourism businesses, attractions and destinations across Britain to get involved in the campaign by sharing local screen tourism experiences across their own channels using #StarringGreatBritain.
VisitBritain is also working with the British Film Commission to boost screen tourism across the nations and regions. Tourism and the creative industries are growth industries. The UK’s capacity to host major film and TV productions, and its world class production offer, boosts the range of screen related visitor experiences and locations, driving economic growth and strengthening perceptions of Britain globally as a place to visit and invest. Research shows that those who have visited the UK are 16% more likely to invest in its businesses, products and services.
The ‘Starring GREAT Britain’ campaign, part of the UK Government’s GREAT campaign, has been developed working in close collaboration with the national tourism boards of England (VisitEngland), Scotland (VisitScotland), Wales (Visit Wales) as well as London & Partners.
Inbound tourism is one of the UK’s most valuable service exports and a major part of British trade, worth an estimated £32.5 billion to the economy in 2024 in visitor spending.