- Harry Potter isn’t the only franchise drawing attention from fans. Paddington Bear was also a popular choice, with more than a quarter (26%) of people visiting settings associated with the character.
- But when looking at individual filming locations, the most popular choice was Chatsworth House (Derbyshire), most associated with TV hit show Peaky Blinders. Bath’s Royal Crescent and Arthur’s Seat (Edinburgh) well known for featuring in Netflix hit shows Bridgerton and One Day, were also popular choices respectively.
- And it’s not just physical locations that have peaked excitement among fans. The Warner Bros Studio in London and Manchester’s Media City are sought after attractions for Harry Potter and Coronation Street fanatics.
- These locations are having a positive impact on UK tourism with many travelling from all over the UK to visit. The latest data reveals how 95% of Game of Thrones fans and 91% of Harry Potter fans travelled from outside the region.
- Despite these attractions providing an appetite for travel across the UK, almost 2 in 3 (63%) don’t take out any travel insurance before going. Alvaro Iturmendi, travel expert at Confused.com, explains why it’s important to consider travel insurance, even for UK getaways.
The filming locations that feature in the Harry Potter movies are the most popular UK places for fans to visit. That’s as 2 in 5 (44%) people say they’ve explored iconic settings in London and Scotland most commonly associated with the films.
That’s according to new data gathered by Confused.com, who asked 2,000 UK adults about places they’ve visited based on films and TV shows they’ve watched. Popular locations associated with Harry Potter include King’s Cross train station in London (33%), Glencoe (11%) and Glenfinnan Viaduct (6%) - both in Scotland. The data revealed these locations as some of the most popular destinations, but fans might better know these as Hagrid’s Hut and the Bridge to Hogwarts.
According to the data, Paddington Bear also proved a very popular choice. More than a quarter (26%) of people said they’ve visited London locations where famous scenes were filmed. This included Paddington train station (25%), where a Paddington Bear statue can be found on platform 1 - where the Brown family first found him. And the colourful Chalcot Crescent in Primrose Hill (3%), where the family lives in the film series, is another filming location popular to visit by fans.
In terms of TV shows, Bridgerton and Peaky Blinders topped the list as fan favourites for visiting on-set locations. Data shows around 1 in 6 (17%) people have visited Chatsworth House, in Derbyshire - or better known as the mansion of character May Carleton. The location has also been used over the years to film the likes of Pride and Prejudice and The Duchess. Further south, around 1 in 6 (16%) had also visited the Royal Crescent in Bath - a familiar sight for Bridgerton fans. More recently, you might spot similar Bridgerton hotspots used as filming locations in the latest Wonka movie, proving a popular choice due to its periodic look.
Other popular UK filming locations to visit include Arthur’s Seat (14%), featured in Netflix’s One Day, and Barry Island (9%), home to Gavin and Stacey.
But it’s not just physical locations that appeal to tourists. One in 6 (17%) people say they’ve visited the Warner Bros Studio near Watford to experience Harry Potter in all its glory. And 1 in 7 (14%) have been to Manchester’s Media City to step onto the set of the UK’s most famous cobbles - Coronation Street. Around 1 in 10 have been to the set of Emmerdale (9%), found near Leeds. Meanwhile, Game of Thrones fans (4%) have flocked to Linen Mill Studios in Northern Ireland.
The data found 95% of visitors to the Game of Thrones experience travelled from outside of the UK. This could be down to its location and visitors dedicating time to visit during their trip in comparison to locations closer to home. Similarly, 91% of Harry Potter fans come from outside of the East of England.
Around 1 in 8 (12%) said they’d pick a travel destination based on a film or TV show they’ve watched. So wanting to explore somewhere new after bingeing your favourite Netflix show might be a similar feeling among many other fans too. Those travelling to these locations have spent around £309 on food and drink, accommodation and venue tickets. That’s excluding travel costs, which were around £73 for fuel and £83 for train tickets, on average. For UK travel insurance, 1 in 10 (10%) said this cost them between £1-£10. Despite this, almost 2 in 3 (63%) say they never buy travel insurance for their UK getaway. Common reasons for this were because they didn’t think it was needed in the UK (36%), or they didn’t see the point (29%). Others felt it was an unnecessary expense (28%), and 1 in 6 (17%) thought they didn’t need travel insurance because they had access to the NHS.
In 2023, the average UK travel insurance policy cost £27(1). Travel insurance doesn’t just cover medical costs, this could be why some believe it’s only necessary for holidays abroad. But if you’re going away to see the sights of some of your favourite movie scenes, a travel insurance policy could come in handy. It can help cover lost luggage, accommodation costs, and cancellations. In comparison to other expenditures, it could be available at a fraction of the cost.
Travel expert, Alvaro Iturmendi at Confused.com comments:
“With many UK TV and films making headlines due to their memorable scenes, some landscapes become a bucket list for people to visit. Harry Potter brought magic to many parts of Scotland, and recent series like Bridgerton and One Day highlighted locations worth the visit.
“The phenomenon of these can influence many, with more than 1 in 10 (12%) admitting to picking their destination based on something they watched. But despite the need to travel, even if just for the night, the majority won’t take out any travel insurance before they go.
“Travel insurance doesn’t just protect people against medical cover. It can help to cover costs if you lose your luggage while travelling or even cover accommodation costs if something happens to your original booking. Plus, the average cost for a policy was £27 last year. So a small investment could be a big support while you explore some of your favourite locations.”
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