VisitBritain Brings Nine International Influencers to UK Screen Tourism Tour

VisitBritain, the UK’s national tourism agency, hosted nine international content creators across Manchester, North Wales, Northumberland and Durham from September 29 to October 5, with the trip tied to upcoming television and film productions including HBO’s “Harry Potter,” “House of the Dragon,” “Practical Magic 2,” and “Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew.”

The influencers, drawn from Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, the GCC, Germany, Italy, and the United States, visited filming locations and took part in screen-tourism experiences inspired by the productions. The itinerary included Alnwick Castle and Durham Cathedral for “Harry Potter,” a Blooms & Bicycles tour and tarot reading in Manchester for “Practical Magic 2,” the Snowdon Mountain Railway for “House of the Dragon,” and lunch at Bodysgallen Hall overlooking Conwy Castle for “Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew.” The trip closed with a ghost tour at Chillingham Castle.

The visit feeds VisitBritain’s “Starring GREAT Britain” campaign, which launched in January 2025 and markets UK filming locations to international visitors seeking “set jetting” experiences. Content from the trip is intended for Instagram and TikTok.

“Our ‘Starring GREAT Britain’ campaign gives destinations across our nations and regions their time to shine in the spotlight, and international tourists the opportunity to explore the iconic British filming backdrops seen in cinemas and at home,” said Patricia Yates, CEO of VisitBritain, in a press release. “Their activity across social media will encourage visitors from some of our key global markets to come and enjoy these unique ‘set jetting’ moments for themselves, with their spending supporting tourism businesses and destinations across Britain.”

Regional tourism bodies partnered on the trip. Andrew Fox, Chair of Visit Northumberland, cited broomstick training at Alnwick Castle, a haunted dinner at Chillingham Castle and a Twilight Tour of Ad Gefrin among the itinerary’s Northumberland stops. Michelle Gorman, Managing Director of Visit County Durham, said influencer visits put the destination “in front of audiences who may not yet have considered visiting.”

VisitBritain cited research from a 2022 MIDAS report finding that social recommendations from travel bloggers and influencers rank as the fourth most popular source of travel inspiration, with 31% of people using creator advice when planning a trip.