As Seen on Screen: New research from The National Lottery reveals how TV and film inspires the nation’s travel habits
14th March 2022
Northern Ireland’s Causeway Coast, seen in popular TV series Game of Thrones, comes out on top in the poll of places people want to visit
- Six in 10 adults have been inspired by TV and films to book trips and days out at locations that feature in them
- The Causeway Coast, Eden Project and Hampton Court Palace top the places people have visited because they feature in hit TV shows and movies
- Photographer Tom Oldham captured TV and radio presenter Vick Hope visiting Hampton Court Palace, one of the settings for hit TV show Bridgerton
- To say thank you for the £30million raised for good causes every week by its players, The National Lottery is offering free entry and special offers at venues and attractions across the UK, including places as seen on screen, as part of The National Lottery Open Week 19-27 March
- Plus, The National Lottery is revealing an Insider’s Guide to get the best out of its Open Week initiative, with the help of experts from venues taking part
New research out today from The National Lottery reveals just how much the public’s love of TV and film affects other areas of their life, including their choice for a day out with six in 10 adults visiting somewhere because movies and TV shows have been filmed there, encouraging them to explore the UK and beyond in the process.
The research was commissioned to celebrate The National Lottery Open Week which takes place from the 19 March – 27 March and sees venues and attractions around the UK offer free entry and special offers as a thank you to National Lottery players for the £30 million raised every week for good causes.
Half of those surveyed say that blockbuster TV and film shows such as Bridgerton, Game of Thrones and Harry Potter have inspired them to travel to different parts of the UK and for almost five in ten, these aspirations have been held since they were teens or younger.
Presenter Vick Hope visited London’s Hampton Court Palace to find out some insider tips from Historic Royal Palaces team member Rosie Holmes and was photographed there by Tom Oldham. Vick Hope says: “I jumped at the chance to meet local experts to discover insider knowledge about some of the UK’s iconic venues taking part in The National Lottery Open Week. As a huge TV fan, exploring the impressive Hampton Court Palace that features in the opening scenes of Bridgeton was a great experience.”
Over half of adults (58%) say a place makes for a more appealing day out if it’s made it to screen. With this in mind, 46% of those surveyed say they would be happy to travel further within the UK to see places that have featured in their favourite shows or movies.
Over 60% still have TV and film locations on their wish list of places to visit, with The Causeway Coast (Game of Thrones), coming out on top, while the Eden Project (James Bond Die Another Day), Hampton Court Palace (Bridgerton), Bletchley Park (The Imitation Game), Glencoe (Harry Potter) and the Black Country Living Museum (Peaky Blinders) also feature in the list.
While a third have ventured to such places in the hope of experiencing ‘the magic of TV’, a further third take a trip ‘to feel closer’ to their favourite characters. Four in 10 of those who’ve visited locations featured on screen also say they have done so to get insider knowledge on a show or film. With this in mind, The National Lottery has created The Insider’s Guide to The National Lottery Open Week, offering insider tips and info on the venues taking part in the initiative, including where to visit movie and TV locations and the things to look out for.
Television and cinema are an integral part of UK culture – these forms of entertainment have provided so many of us with wonderful memories and for many, trips to these sites are pilgrimages that help bring favourite shows and films to life. “Many of these cherished locations have also received National Lottery investment, which highlights the enormous amount of good that National Lottery players do to look after and protect the places and landscapes - across the whole of the UK - which mean so much to us all. The National Lottery Open Week is a great opportunity for people to explore some of them, such as The Eden Project, Hampton Court Palace and the Black Country Living Museum, which are all settings for TV and film favourites and join hundreds of other venues and attractions offering National Lottery players free entry and special offers to say thank you for the £30m they raise for good causes each week.
Darren Henley OBE, Chief Executive of Arts Council England and Chair of The National Lottery Forum
Aside from exploring TV and movie locations, when it comes to planning a day out, 78% are also keen to travel the UK to visit places they haven’t seen before. Additional motivations when choosing where to visit include exploring wildlife, learning something new, being inspired by history and being able to take four-legged friends. During their visits, over half of adults also say they turn to venue experts for insider knowledge, with 66% keen to tell others about the places they’ve visited.
TOP 20 – UK TV AND MOVIE LOCATIONS BRITS WANT TO VISIT
- Causeway Coast, Northern Ireland (Game of Thrones, Hellboy 2, Dracula Untold)
- Eden Project, Cornwall (Die Another Day)
- Hampton Court Palace, London (Bridgerton, Victoria, Pirates of the Caribbean)
- Bletchley Park, Milton Keynes (The Imitation Game)
- Natural History Museum, London (Paddington)
- Glencoe, Argyll, Scotland (Harry Potter, Braveheart, Skyfall, Mary Queen of Scots)
- Snowdonia, Wales (King Arthur Legend of The Sword)
- Durham Cathedral, Durham, England (Harry Potter)
- Chatsworth House, Derbyshire (Pride and Prejudice, The Duchess)
- British Museum, London (Wonder Woman, Night at The Museum 3)
- Glenfinnan Viaduct, Lochaber, Scotland (Harry Potter)
- Cairngorms National Park, Scotland (Mary Queen of Scots)
- Shakespeare's Globe, London (Shakespeare in Love)
- The Lizard, Cornwall (Poldark)
- Black Country Living Museum, Birmingham (Peaky Blinders)
- Lacock Abbey, Wiltshire, England (Harry Potter, Downton Abbey)
- Royal Crescent, Bath, Somerset (Bridgerton)
- Lincoln Castle, Lincoln (Downton Abbey)
- National Botanic Garden of Wales (Doctor Who)
- Bodnant Garden, Wales (The Secret Garden)
National Lottery players can visit nationallotteryopenweek.com to find the Insider’s Guide to Open Week, special offers and free entry from National Lottery funded venues to say #Thankstoyou for the £30m they raise for good causes each week.
Notes to editors
Subject to availability. One voucher per person. 18+ only. See www.nationallotteryopenweek.com for full terms and conditions.
Association of Leading Visitor Attractions (ALVA), 2018
Consumer research was conducted with 2,000 respondents in March 2022 by One Poll
About The National Lottery Good Causes
- The National Lottery raises more than £30 million for Good Causes every week and includes the funding of many iconic venues, historical landmarks and other amazing days out across the UK
- Since The National Lottery’s first draw took place on 19 November 1994, more than £43 billion has been raised for Good Causes, with 660,000 individual grants being awarded in the areas of arts, sport, community and heritage.
- For more information, please visit https://www.lotterygoodcauses.org.uk