Starring Great Britain: How ‘Set‑Jetting’ Is Spreading Tourists Across the UK

When you think of a trip to the United Kingdom, what pops into your head? Most people picture the London Eye, double‑decker buses and a drizzle‑soaked Thames. That’s fine – London is brilliant – but it’s also a bit over‑done. The real story, the one written in stone cliffs, misty lochs and ancient castles, is playing out on a whole other stage.

Enter “Starring GREAT Britain”, the latest campaign from the national tourism board VisitBritain. Launched in January 2025, the initiative is a kind of love‑letter to every film‑fan, TV‑binger and day‑dreamer who’s ever thought, “I wish I could visit that spot from the show I just watched.” It puts a tidy, interactive map on the board’s website, flagging every location across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland that’s ever graced a screen.

From the iconic white cliffs of Dover that framed scenes in Harry Potter & the Goblet of Fire to the remote lochs that set the mood in Outlander, the map is peppered with recommendations, suggested routes and bite‑size itineraries. Want to chase the Highlands of The Diplomat? There’s a three‑day plan that whiskers you from Inverness to the rugged Isle of Skye, with plenty of stops for a proper whisky tasting. Fancy a dash of Victorian drama? Follow the footsteps of Mr. Holmes through the cobbled lanes of Bath.

Patricia Yates, CEO of VisitBritain, explained the idea at the World Travel Market in London. “It’s absolutely essential to get visitors to explore more outside of London,” she said, chuckling a little. “The island is small – a couple of hours by train gets you to Manchester or Liverpool, a short flight to Edinburgh, and you’re already on the other side of the country. But the real magic is the storytelling. We can use film, which already has that emotional pull, to show people why they should go.”

That emotional pull is what’s called “set‑jetting” – a travel trend that’s been bubbling up for years. Think of the surge in visits to Dubrovnik after Game of Thrones or the crush of tourists in New Zealand after The Lord of the Rings. The UK is riding that wave, hoping to spread the economic benefits of tourism more evenly. London can handle its crowds, but the smaller towns and rural regions are hungry for that extra spend.

Yates was quick to stress that the board isn’t just sending tourists to any old village. “We have to make sure the places we promote have the capacity, the infrastructure and actually want the visitors at that time of year,” she said. “We don’t want to overload a community that’s already feeling the pinch.” The aim is to attract the kind of traveller who lingers – someone who reads the history plaque, buys a locally‑made souvenir and maybe stays a few nights instead of just a quick photo stop.

One region that’s getting a special shout‑out is the North‑East of England. Here, the newly‑opened Kynren outdoor theatre stages a 90‑minute epic about England’s past, performed by over a thousand locals – a true community‑driven spectacle. And for the die‑hard Potter fans, Alnwick Castle in Northumberland, the very place where Harry first learned to fly a broom, is just waiting for you to wander its towering ramparts.

All in all, “Starring GREAT Britain” is more than a clever marketing gimmick. It’s a modest invitation to step off the well‑trodden path, to let the screen guide you into the valleys, cliffs and markets that make the UK so richly varied. So next time you’re planning a trip, maybe ask yourself: which TV show or film has the scenery you’d love to explore in real life? The answer could lead you far beyond the M25, and into a story you’ll never forget.