- Two thirds (63%) of Brits wish they could visit fictional destinations on holidays, according to new research by Culture Trip
- Mega month for film & TV has impacted travel desires: 1 in 10 fantasy fans would love to visit the Avengers Headquarters on holiday & 12% want to visit Game of Thrones’ Westeros
- Meanwhile, 1 in 3 Brits want to visit Harry Potter’s Hogwarts, followed by The Shire from Lord of the Rings (18%) and Narnia from the Chronicles of Narnia (18%)
- A third have travelled to filming locations and 1 in 3 want to visit New Zealand purely because it’s the setting for so many films and shows
- Game of Thrones fans would be willing to fork out an average of £1,246 for the privilege of visiting Westeros on holiday, if they could
- For fantasy travel inspiration, visit Culture Trip
London, UK, 30th April, 2019 – It’s is proving to be a mammoth month for fans of cult fantasy and superhero franchises, with Game of Thrones Season 8 and Avengers: Endgame both hitting screens worldwide. So much so, fans of the fantasy world would be willing to travel – and spend money – if they could, according to new research by travel, media and entertainment startup, Culture Trip.
We’re All Going On A Fantasy Holiday
Research by Culture Trip reveals two thirds (63%) of Brits wish they could visit fictional destinations on holidays while about a third (28%) saying they’ve holidayed somewhere purely because it’s a filming location of a TV show or film.
One in ten fantasy fans would love to visit the Avengers Headquarters on holiday, and another 10% would also love to visit Wakanda, home of Black Panther. A remaining 8% would travel to Thor’s home of Asgard, land of the Æsir tribe.
Homegrown hit, Harry Potter still reigns supreme with one in three (29%) fans putting Harry Potter’s Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry at the top of their wishlist, because there would be a lot to see and do (56%), they’d want to immerse themselves in the culture (32%) and the amazing photo opportunities on offer (28%). In second place is The Shire (18%) from Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit (18%), closely followed by Narnia, the setting of The Chronicles of Narnia.
Despite the mortality rate, Game of Thrones fever is still strong – 1 in 10 (12%) Brits say they would love to visit Westeros on holiday, and fans would be willing to fork out an average of £1,246 for the privilege of exploring the Seven Kingdoms – a whopping £36,935,084 nationwide*. This skews higher for male fans, who’d be happy to put up £1,358, compared to women, who’d commit to spending £1,146.
When travelling the country, men would choose Mother of Dragons Daenerys Targaryen to be their guide (19%) or join them at a dinner party to sample the local cuisine (17%). In contrast, women would favour Jon Snow or Tyrion Lannister as their guide (27% vs. 17%) and dinner party guests (22% vs. 16%).
Sweet Treats
When it comes to cuisines, Fizzy Lifting Drinks from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory are the most lusted-after food, with a fifth (20%) saying they’d love to try the soda pop that makes the drinker lift into the air like a balloon with every sip. In second place are Scooby Snacks from Scooby Doo (18%), followed by Butterbeer from Harry Potter (18%), the Three Course Dinner Chewing Gum from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (18%) and Chocolate frogs from Honeydukes in Harry Potter (17%).
Steering Clear
As with the real-world, there are always destinations travellers tend to avoid. For fictional worlds, nearly one in five (17%) say they’d steer clear of The Wasteland in Mad Max, because they wouldn’t feel safe (59%), aren’t interested in the culture (59%) and wouldn’t want to get to know the people (17%). Other high-ranking undesirable locations include Panem from The Hunger Games and Isla Nublar from the Jurassic Park series (14%).
Lights, Camera, Vacation
In lieu of being able to travel to our favourite fictional worlds, Brits are happy to explore the next best thing, However, two in three (63%) would like to visit filming locations in the future. New Zealand tops the bucket list, with nearly one in three (29%) choosing the home of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, The Chronicles of Narnia, Avatar, King Kong, X-Men Origins: Wolverine and Thor: Ragnarok.
In second place is Hawaii (26%), the filming location of Jurassic Park, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, Avatar, Pirates of the Caribbean, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle and Planet of the Apes. Hawaii is closely followed by the USA (16%), Iceland (16%) and St Vincent (13%).
Cassam Looch, TV & Film Expert at Culture Trip, commented: “Fantasy worlds have captured the imagination of people around the globe – with 17.4 million people watching Game of Thrones’ Season 8 premiere and Avengers: Endgame breaking records by raking in £1bn worldwide during its opening weekend. Directors, casts and crews have managed to make the worlds in which our on-screen heroes live so appealing, that people are longing to visit these places in real life.
Travel and entertainment lie at the heart of Culture Trip, and it’s this reason that we continue to share inspiration for trips and experiences that combine the best of both worlds.”
Visit Culture Trip for travel inspiration, including guides of filming locations you can visit courtesy of TV & Film Expert, Cassam Looch.
| Which fictional locations from film & TV would you most want to visit on holiday? | |
| Destination | Brits |
| Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry (Harry Potter films) | 29% |
| The Shire (The Hobbit, Lord of the Rings) | 18% |
| Narnia (The Chronicles of Narnia) | 18% |
| Middle-Earth (Lord of the Rings) | 18% |
| Shipwreck Cove (Pirates of the Caribbean) | 13% |
| Westeros (Game of Thrones) | 12% |
| Star Wars Universe (Star Wars) | 12% |
| Star Trek Universe (Star Trek) | 11% |
| Gotham City (Batman) | 10% |
| Pandora (Avatar) | 10% |
| Isla Nublar (Jurassic Park Series) | 10% |
| Avengers Headquarters (Avengers: Infinity War) | 9% |
| Wakanda (Black Panther) | 9% |
| Asgard (Thor: Ragnarok) | 9% |
| Westworld (Westworld) | 7% |
| Xavier’s Academy (X-Men) | 7% |
| Panem (Hunger Games) | 7% |
| Mystic Falls (The Vampire Diaries) | 6% |
| Sunnydale (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) | 6% |
| Riverdale (Riverdale) | 6% |
| Hawkins (Stranger Things) | 5% |
| Forest of Naboo (Star Wars Episode 1) | 4% |
| Xandar Plaza (Guardians of the Galaxy) | 4% |
| Smallville (Smallville) | 4% |
| Zion (The Matrix) | 4% |
| The Wasteland (Mad Max: Fury Road) | 3% |
| Themyscira (Wonder Woman) | 3% |
| World of Azeroth (Warcraft) | 3% |
| If you could travel to fantasy locations from film & TV, what local cuisine would you most want to try? | |
| Cuisine | Brits |
| Fizzy lifting drinks (Charlie & the Chocolate Factory) | 20% |
| Scooby Snacks (from Scooby Doo) | 18% |
| Butterbeer (Harry Potter) | 18% |
| The Three Course-Dinner Chewing Gum (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) | 18% |
| Chocolate Frogs (Harry Potter) | 17% |
| Turkish Delight (The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe) | 16% |
| Krabby Patty (Spongebob Squarepants) | 15% |
| Everlasting Gobstopper (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) | 12% |
| Romulan Ale (Star Trek) | 10% |
| Bertie Botts Every Flavour Beans (Harry Potter) | 9% |
| Lembas Bread (The Lord the Rings) | 8% |
| Peeta’s Bread (The Hunger Games) | 8% |
| Fish Fingers & Custard (Doctor Who) | 6% |
| Eggo Waffles (Stranger Things) | 6% |
| Portion Bread (The Force Awakens) | 4% |
| Colo Claw Fish (Solo: A Star Wars Story) | 3% |
| Rokeg Blood Pie (Star Trek) | 3% |
| Klatooine Paddy Frogs (Return of the Jedi) | 3% |
| Hunted Squirrel (The Hunger Games) | 3% |
| Plomeek Soup (Star Trek) | 3% |
| Thala-Siren Milk (The Last Jedi) | 3% |
| Which filming locations of a TV show or film would you most want to visit? | |
| Location | Brits |
| New Zealand | 29% |
| Hawaii | 26% |
| USA | 17% |
| Iceland | 16% |
| St Vincent | 13% |
| Scotland | 13% |
| Croatia | 11% |
| England | 11% |
| Italy | 11% |
| Malta | 10% |
| Norway | 10% |
| China | 10% |
| Spain | 9% |
| Ireland | 8% |
| Morocco | 8% |
| Northern Ireland | 8% |
| South Africa | 8% |
| France | 7% |
| Philippines | 6% |
| Jordan | 6% |
| South Korea | 5% |
| Zambia | 5% |
| Tunisia | 5% |
| Namibia | 4% |
| Uganda | 4% |
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