Iconic Bath filming locations used in series such as Bridgerton and McDonald & Dodds have been showcased to international media representatives as part of a campaign to attract more tourists to Britain.
Journalists from countries including Germany, Canada, India and China were in Bath this week to explore the kind of film and TV-related experiences that visitors can only have in Bath.
Building on the continued global popularity of Bridgerton, three series of which have been made in Bath, the group visited filming locations such as the Holburne Museum, pictured doubling as Lady Danbury’s House in Bridgerton series three, as well as taking part in a walking tour around its attractions and a hot air balloon ride above its streets and parks.
The latest research from VisitBritain’s shows that film tourism is a powerful motivator for travel, with 91% of potential visitors surveyed across 20 overseas markets keen to visit locations used in filming or seen on screen.
VisitBritain forecasts around £32.5bn will be spent by international visitors to the UK this year, up 5% on 2023, with the total of 38.7m visits forecast 2% up on last year.
Earlier this year a report by Bath & North East Somerset Council’s Film Office revealed an estimated £3.4m was pumped into Bath’s economy last year by film crews using the city and surroundings as locations.
That, in turn, allowed Bath to join a select roll call of places that has become known for ‘set-jetting’ – or screen tourism.
In March Visit West, the region’s destination marketing organisation, said its research showed 30% of visitors were attracted by films or shows shot locally.
Other recent productions made in Bath include hit movie Wonka, for which parts of the city transformed into a winter wonderland, including Parade Gardens, pictured, and Bath Street, which was dressed in artificial snow.
Visit West managing director Kathryn Davis said: “Bath has always been a popular location for filming and its recent renaissance has seen the city transported to new audiences across the world, inspiring visitors to discover its Georgian splendour.
“From Bridgerton to McDonald & Dodds to Wonka, Bath continues to attract attention.
“Working closely with the Bath Film Office, we have been able to maximise opportunities to responsibly bring the locations to life as part of the visitor experience, and local businesses have embraced the opportunity to ensure fans of the shows get to enhance their visit, ensuring visitors stay longer and explore more of the region.
“Having Bridgerton, one of the world’s most viewed series, so closely associated with the destination has meant that the reach is beyond anything we can achieve ourselves.”
VisitBritain/VisitEngland CEO Patricia Yates said the global media representatives had been invited in the lead up to its international ‘Starring GREAT Britain’ marketing campaign, which harnesses the powerful pull of the set-jetting trend to boost visitor spending to Britain.
“Shining the spotlight on film and TV experiences encourages more visitors to come to explore our amazing destinations, putting themselves in the picture,” she added.
“From exploring our vibrant cities and stunning countryside, the backdrop for so many iconic filming locations, to sampling our world-class dining and accommodation, the group experienced first-hand the destinations that are the real star of the show, encouraging more visitors to book a trip right now.”
The multi-million pound ‘Starring GREAT Britain’ campaign will be rolled out across VisitBritain’s major inbound markets from early next year.
Bath’s Film Office has worked with teams behind a host of big and small screen productions over the past 30 years, including Vanity Fair, in which Reece Witherspoon played Becky Sharpe, The Duchess, with Keira Knightley in the title role, and Sherlock, starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman.
Scenes for Les Misérables were also filmed in the city, including one in which Russell Crowe’s stunt double floats over Pulteney Weir.
Holburne Museum photo © Netflix
