Screen is no longer just inspiring travel. It's shaping it.
Updated: Aug 21
The latest research from VisitBritain provides compelling new evidence of the growing influence film and television has on international travel decisions and the opportunity this presents for destinations.
Published in July 2026 the research found that 53% of recent UK leisure visitors had taken part in at least one film or television-related activity during their trip, while 75% of those considering a future UK visit would be interested in doing so.
But perhaps the more interesting findings sit behind those headline numbers.
Around half of recent visitors said they had visited lesser-known places in the UK because they had seen them on screen. Film and television content also influenced visitors to choose the UK over competing destinations, travel sooner than originally planned and visit during quieter, off-peak periods.
Among prospective visitors, 59% agreed that film and television could make them more likely to visit Britain sooner, while 58% said it could encourage them to travel during off-peak periods.
The influence is particularly pronounced among younger travellers and important long-haul markets. More than 90% of potential visitors from China and India expressed an interest in taking part in film and television-related activities during a future UK trip.
For destinations, these findings shift the screen tourism conversation considerably.
The opportunity isn't simply about attracting fans to famous filming locations. Screen has the potential to support regional dispersal, seasonality, international market development and destination positoining, some of the biggest strategic challenges facing tourism organisations.
VisitBritain is already demonstrating the comercial potential through its Starring GREAT Britain campaign, which generated £217million in additional visitor spending during its first six months - equating to £20 in additional visitor spending for every £1 invested.
The question for destinations is therefore increasingly moving from 'does screen influence tourism?' to 'how do we harness that influence?'
And that's exactly the conversation we want to continue at Set-Jet.
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