To inspire visitors from the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) countries to choose Britain for their next trip and to explore more of its nations and regions, 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 underway across the UK’s largest and most valuable inbound visitor markets including GCC as well as Australia, France, Germany and the United States.
The campaign comes as VisitBritain’s screen tourism research shows more than 9-out-of-10 potential visitors to the UK would be keen to visit film and TV locations during a trip.
Tourism Minister Sir Chris Bryant said: “Many of the moments that took your breath away in the cinema were filmed in the United Kingdom. Stunning scenery, amazing cityscapes and great cinematic talent have combined over the years in a truly exceptional way. We want visitors from home and abroad to experience them first-hand by immersing themselves in the scenery and locations made famous thanks to film and TV.
“Our tourism industry is already worth £74 billion to the economy and this campaign will help drive more growth by encouraging millions of tourists to visit even more parts of our breath-taking country.
“Supporting our Plan for Change, this will help to boost visitor numbers and spend, create opportunity in local communities and set the scene for the UK’s thriving visitor economy for years to come.”
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 visitors from the GCC 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.
“Films, TV and tourism have a lot in common. They bring people together and they can transport us to new places, experiences and adventures. From exploring our vibrant cities, world-class attractions and stunning countryside, the backdrop to so many iconic filming locations, to enjoying our exciting contemporary culture and hospitality, Starring GREAT Britain inspires our visitors from the GCC to put themselves in the picture, discover more and book a trip to Britain right now.”
The first phase of the international advertising campaign, with a budget of £8 million, got underway from 20 January and runs until the end of March 2025 in the GCC and is part of a longer-term screen tourism focus by VisitBritain.
As well as the launch film, the multi-media advertising campaign in the GCC 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 in cinemas across the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, on large digital billboards in high footfall locations from the City Walk hub in Dubai to the Jeddah Corniche in Saudi Arabia, alongside branded content across digital and social media on channels including Meta, Snapchat, YouTube and ConnectedTV.
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.
A range of resources are also available for travel trade in the GCC on VisitBritain’s trade website, from images inspired by film and TV locations and genres, products available to book through the VisitBritain Shop and itineraries featuring trade-bookable product.
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, 10 top travel trade from the GCC have been undertaking an educational visit to Scotland, exploring the latest tourism products and experiences to get those on the itineraries of future visitors.
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.
VisitBritain’s latest forecast estimates 1.4 million visits from the GCC to the UK in 2025 with those visitors spending £3.6 billion on their trips.
