Boom in holidays to places made famous by TV and film with tourists flocking to locations for Game of Thrones, The Lord of the Rings, Sex and The City and... Broadchurch
- One in four adults say they choose where to go on their next getaway based on their favourite movie or TV set
- The Lord of the Rings' filming locations in New Zealand top a new study commissioned by HBO Entertainment
- Game of Thrones features three times in the top 10, with viewers travelling to Northern Ireland, Iceland and Malta
One in four adults now regularly pick where to go on their next holiday based on filming locations used in their favourite TV shows or films.
New Zealand, famously the location of filming for much of The Lord of the Rings franchise, came top in the poll of film locations we would most like to visit commissioned by HBO Entertainment.
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The Lord of the Rings, starring Martin Freeman as Bilbo Baggins, is the greatest TV or film inspiration for people's holidays
Fans of The Lord of the Rings flock from all over the world to Hobbiton, which is The Shire in the films and has been preserved
The moody and vastly varied landscapes of New Zealand, such as this scene in Glenorchy, are also a source of fascination
Second is New York, where fans of Sex and the City want to retrace the stiletto steps of heroine Carrie Bradshaw as she flaunts her way from one Cosmopolitan to another with her three besties.
The HBO phenomenon, Game of Thrones, features three times in the top 10, with viewers now travelling to The Causeway Coast and Glens in Northern Ireland, Iceland and Malta off the back of the success of the epic fantasy series.
And the popularity of Broadchurch saw West Bay in Dorset feature at number five in the list.
Colin Smith, Director of HBO Home Entertainment UK, which commissioned the research to mark the release of Game of Thrones Season 5 on digital HD, said: 'When choosing a holiday destination, there are already a large number of things to consider - things like cost, travel time and weather.
Three of the set locations featuring Kit Harrington's Jon Snow and the other Games of Thrones characters feature in the top 10
Game of Thrones devotees are seeking out destinations such as The Causeway Coast and Glens in Northern Ireland
Sarah Jessica Parker's Carrie Bradshaw and Sex and the City draw fans to New York City with tours based on the show still hugely popular
'While we might have only considered the more well-known tourist destinations before, some shows are introducing us to countries or cities away from the beaten track, and are helping to broaden our horizons when it comes to our travel plans.'
'While we might have only considered the more well-known tourist destinations before, some shows are introducing us to countries or cities away from the beaten track, and are helping to broaden our horizons when it comes to our travel plans.'
Moyra Locke, Head of Marketing at Northern Ireland Screen added: 'Game of Thrones is a phenomenal worldwide success and everything about the series can be talked of in superlatives.
'It is a magnificent showcase for many stunning locations across Northern Ireland and has had a significant, positive effect on tourism here.
'We have made no secret of the fact that we hope Game of Thrones will do for Northern Ireland what Lord of the Rings did for New Zealand.'
The hugely popular Broadchurch, starring David Tennant as Alec Hardy and Olivia Colman as Ellie Miller, lands Dorset on the list
Beautiful West Bay on the Jurassic Coast in Dorset comes fifth in a study of 2,000 adults asking which locations they most want to visitThe study of 2,000 adults found almost half have countries or landmarks they would like to visit after seeing it on their TV or cinema screen.
And one in five even admitted they dream of visiting the locations used in their favourite TV show or film so they can take a selfie next to a famous spot.
New Zealand came top of the most popular TV holiday choices, after being used as the main location in the Lord of the Rings series, followed by Sex and the City's home of New York City.
Third place went to The Giant's Causeway, in Northern Ireland, one of several Game of Thrones locations to feature in the poll, along with The Hangover's location of Las Vegas.
Alnwick Castle, in Northumberland, which featured in the Harry Potter films, came sixth, followed by Paris, used to film Inception, and Benidorm, in Spain - home to the ITV hit of the same name.
The ultimate inspiration for the lads' weekend away, The Hangover film earns Las Vegas its places as the fourth most desired destination
Las Vegas's famous Caesers Palace Hotel features among the many recognisable locations in the first of the blokey franchise
Iceland and Malta - both used to film the Game of Thrones completed the top ten.
Other locations to feature in the poll include Ko Phi Phi Leh, in Thailand - from The Beach (15), Notting Hill, in London, from the film of the same title (19) and even Marbella, Spain, after it has been featured in episodes of The Only Way is Essex (22).
Kings Cross station, in London, used in the Harry Potter films (16) also made it into the top 20, along with The Beverly Wilshire Hotel, in Los Angeles, (24) which features heavily in Pretty Woman.
Researchers also found films and TV shows aren't just affecting where we go on holiday though, as two thirds admit to spending time on their break catching up on the latest releases.
One in four even avoid watching certain films or TV box sets so they can 'save them' to watch while they are away.
And three in ten reckon they are now more likely to spend their time on holiday watching a film or TV show on their tablet or laptop than they are reading a book.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/travel_news/article-3134384/Boom-holidays-places-famous-TV-film-tourists-flocking-locations-Game-Thrones-Lord-Rings-Sex-City-Broadchurch.html#ixzz3e6uelbB1
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