- Vikings hold off Jets in London to stay unbeaten
- Ahead of attack anniversary, Netanyahu says: 'We will win'
- West Indies cruise to T20 World Cup win over Scotland
- Arshdeep, Chakravarthy help India hammer Bangladesh in T20 opener
- Lewandowski's quickfire hat-trick powers Liga leaders Barca to Alaves victory
- Man Utd fire another blank in Aston Villa stalemate
- Lewandowski treble powers Liga leaders Barca to Alaves victory
- Russian activist killed on front line in Ukraine
- Openda strike briefly sends Leipzig top of Bundesliga
- Goal-shy Man Utd have to 'step up', says Ten Hag
- India bowl out Bangladesh for 127 in T20 opener
- Madueke rescues Chelsea in draw with 10-man Forest
- Beckett's belief rewarded as Bluestocking storms to Arc glory
- Trump on the stump, Harris hits airwaves in razor-edge US election
- Flash flooding kills three in northern Thailand
- Kaur leads India to victory over Pakistan in Women's T20 World Cup
- Juventus held by Cagliari after late penalty drama
- In France's Marseille, teen 'stabbed 50 times' then burned alive
- Ruthless Gauff beats Muchova in straight sets to win China Open
- India restrict Pakistan to 105-8 in Women's T20 World Cup
- England target repeat of Pakistan Test whitewash
- Penrith Panthers win fourth straight NRL title after downing Storm
- Weary Sinner happy for day off after battling into Shanghai last 16
- Pakistan's Masood warns England still a force without Stokes
- Madrid's Carvajal to miss several months after serious knee injury
- Israel pounds Lebanon ahead of Hamas attack anniversary
- Two elephants die in flash flooding in northern Thailand
- Sabalenka targets world number one and Wuhan hat-trick
- Toddler among 4 dead in migrant Channel crossings
- Tunisia votes with Saied set for re-election
- Bagnaia sets 'example' with Japan MotoGP win to cut gap on Martin
- Intense Israeli bombing rocks Beirut ahead of war anniversary
- Mozambique vote: no suspense but some disillusion
- Austrian rapper channels anti-racist rage in Romani hip-hop songs
- Ohtani magic powers Dodgers over Padres in MLB playoff thriller
- Five of the best: Pakistan-England Test thrillers
- Man sets arm on fire as marches across US mark Gaza war anniversary
- Vietnam's young coffee entrepreneurs brew up a revolution
- Trump rallies at site of failed assassination: 'Never quit'
- Too hot by day, Dubai's floodlit beaches are packed at night
- Is music finally reckoning with #MeToo?
- Fans hail Trump's 'guts' as he returns to site of rally shooting
- Lebanon state media says 'very violent' Israeli strikes hit south Beirut
- Guardians maul Tigers, miracle Mets rally in MLB series openers
- Lebanon state media says Israeli strikes hit south Beirut
- Miami on track for MLS record points after win in Toronto
- Madrid beat Villarreal but Carvajal suffers knee injury
- Madrid beat Villarreal to move level with Liga leaders Barcelona
- Monaco take top spot in Ligue 1 with win at Rennes
- French rugby player on rape charge whistled but 'serene' on return
Britain embraces 'set-jetting' trend
Standing opposite a mansion in the elegant English city of Bath, Tegan Shirdon marvelled at the window from where Penelope, one of the heroines of "Bridgerton", would eye her love interest Colin in the hit show.
A "huge fan" of the Netflix series which has racked up 300 million views, the 20-year-old Australian student was one of around 30 tourists to descend on the southwestern city recently.
They had come from countries including the Netherlands, Canada, Spain and Japan to admire the setting for the early 19th century romance drama.
Film student Ruby Maidment, their guide for the day, dished out historical anecdotes alongside snippets about "Bridgerton" shoots.
She pointed to a Marks & Spencer's supermarket sign that made it on-screen after production editors missed it, while noting the handsome fees paid to locals to stay indoors during filming.
"A lot of people when thinking about where to go for holidays, they'll put their favourite show on and go 'Oh, actually, why don't we check out there?'," she told AFP.
This trend has a name: so-called set-jetting. It has emerged in recent years with the rise of streaming platforms, and has boomed further since the Coronavirus pandemic.
Movies and television series have become the leading source of travel inspiration, ahead of social networks, according to online travel group Expedia.
It found that 39 percent of tourists surveyed reported they had chosen a destination after seeing it featured on screen.
- 'Motivator' -
Set-jetting is "becoming a significant driver and motivator for travel," said Robin Johnson of the VisitBritain tourism authority.
"I think particularly for younger audiences -- Gen Z, millennials -- who are growing up on streaming," he added.
"It really makes sense for us Britain to capitalise on (it), because there is no bigger or better platform to promote a destination than high-end film or TV series. Money can't buy that sort of exposure."
Seven out of 10 international tourists have visited at least one film and TV location during their stay in the UK in the last 10 years, according to VisitBritain. Over 90 percent of potential visitors would be eager to do so in the future, it noted.
"There is not really much film back home where I am, so if I want to see any set of a TV show I need to come on a 17-hour flight on the other side of the world," said Shirdon, a journalism student.
Enduring franchises such as "James Bond" and "Harry Potter" continue to attract millions of visitors. But more recent productions, such as "Game of Thrones" in Northern Ireland, "Outlander" in Scotland, and more recently "The Crown" as well as "Bridgerton" in England, are sustaining the momentum.
To further boost this "powerful pull", VisitBritain and the British Film Commission, the industry's support agency, plan to launch a joint promotional campaign next year. Called "Starring GREAT Britain", it is aimed at attracting more travellers as well as new productions.
- 'Transformed' -
The campaign will place filming locations and associated visitor experiences "centre-stage, telling the story of Britain's regional diversity to drive visits and spend across the regions", according to the agencies.
"When you look at what has happened in the UK over the last 10 years, the UK is now perceived as one of the biggest places in the world to make film and television," Adrian Wootton, head of the British Film Commission, told AFP.
He noted the country had netted £3.1 billion ($4.1 billion) of foreign investment as a result.
The key to this success? A combination of breathtaking scenery, English-speaking talent, big investment in studios and other filmmaking hubs, as well as generous tax reliefs, he argued.
"Places like Northern Ireland have been transformed by a series... nobody would have considered it a tourist destination," before "Game of Thrones" and its recent prequel "House of the Dragon", Wootton added.
By the end of 2023, "Bridgerton" had already generated £5 million for the local economy thanks to domestic and international visitors -- and that was before a popular third season aired this year.
"There's definitely so much history in the UK that you don't get as much in Canada, so we love to visit and learn all about the history," Canadian transplant to the UK Emily Maniquet told AFP during a visit to Bath.
"I love British television," she added, noting she had already visited "Harry Potter" filming locations during a trip to Edinburgh.
C.Garcia--AMWN