- 3.1 million Brits were considering “pulling a sickie” to catch the first episode of Season 8 of the cult TV series, according to new research by Culture Trip
- People in Yorkshire, Wales and the South East most likely to call in sick
- The average Brit would spend £1,246 to get to Westeros
- Almost 1 in 5 Brits think Jon Snow is the best person to take on the role of Prime Minister, instead of Theresa May, **followed by “Mother of Dragons” Daenerys Targaryen
- Culture Trip’s Film & TV Expert, Cassam Looch has released a Game of Thrones travel guide for GOT fans
London, UK, 12th April, 2019 – As the world eagerly anticipates the final season of epic fantasy series Game of Thrones, new research commissioned by travel, media and entertainment startup, Culture Trip, looked into Brits’ views on the epic fantasy series, with data revealing that the nation is more Game Of Thrones obsessed than ever.
Pulling A Sickie
Brits are so invested in the fate of Westeros and its Seven Kingdoms that over 3,131,000* will consider ‘pulling a sickie’ to watch the premiere, set to hit screens at the early hour of 2:00am GMT this Monday 15th April.
Employers in Yorkshire, Wales and the South East should be most wary, with 1 in 5 (21%, 18%, 18%, respectively) from these regions considering calling in sick this Monday, whilst those aged 16-24 are likely to be the biggest culprits overall, with a whopping 18% of British gen Z-ers considering pulling a sickie.
“He Can Solve Brexit”
Game of Thrones’ popularity goes beyond just fantasy tours and dinner parties. In fact, fans are calling for the characters to take over and navigate us through Brexit.
18% of British fans would choose Jon Snow to take over as leader of the government during the current turbulence, with reasons including, “[he] is a great leader”, “a good heart and strong enough to make the right decisions”, “for the people”, having “fantastic ethics and morals” and “if he can slay a dragon, he can solve Brexit problems”.
**Following behind Jon Snow is Daenerys Targaryen – 13% of fans think she is the best person for the job, with many saying “because she has dragons”, is a “formidable leader with a caring heart” and is “fair and true to her word”. **In third place is Tyrion Lannister (12%) with one Game of Thrones fan saying “he ultimately wants a harmonious relationship between the public and the government” and many citing his intelligence.
Travelling To Westeros
Culture Trip shows the obsession doesn’t stop there – over 1 in 10 (12%) Brits say they would love to visit Westeros on holiday, more than other fantasy destinations such as Gotham(10%), Pandora (10%), Wakanda or Asgard (9%). Those who put Westeros at the top of their travel bucket list would visit for its sights and attractions (56%), culture (40%), people (26%), photo opps (24%) and cuisine (11%).
In fact, Game of Thrones fans would be willing to fork out an average of £1,246 for the privilege of exploring the Seven Kingdoms, which encompasses everything from the Wall and beyond in the North, to the Iron Islands in the West, to all that awaits travellers on the Kingsroad, to the capital city of King’s Landing in the South. 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 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%).
Game of Thrones Brought To Life
The research revealed that in lieu of actually travelling to these fantasy destinations, Brits would include Iceland (16%), Croatia (11%) and Malta (10%) on their travel wishlists purely based on their roles as filming locations for Game of Thrones.
Cassam Looch, TV & Film Expert at Culture Trip, commented: “As a huge Game of Thrones fan, I – like the rest of the nation – am both excited and sad to see the series end. “For those who don’t want to say goodbye to Westeros come the season eight finale, we’ve compiled atravel guide to help you visit the real-life filming locations and relive the ups and downs of the Seven Kingdoms.”
“It’s been amazing to see the fan base grow from a cult following, to a worldwide phenomenon, especially given the show has catapulted home-grown British talent onto the world stage and so much of the series has been filmed on home soil. Not only is it hugely popular here in the UK, Game of Thrones has captivated global audiences who – despite language and cultural differences – can all relate to the show’s themes of family, loyalty and friendship. The political turmoil on-screen, in many ways, reflects the current global political climate and helped us make sense of it all.
Visit Culture Trip for Game of Thrones travel inspiration, courtesy of TV & Film Expert, Cassam Looch.
| Who are you most likely to choose to lead the government and why? (Open responses – examples) | ||
| Character | % | Some of the reasons provided (open responses) |
| Jon Snow | 18% | A great leader |
| He stands up and fights for his beliefs | ||
| Has a good heart and is strong enough in character to make the right decisions | ||
| He’s a hunk and sensible | ||
| He’s pulled enemies together | ||
| Daenerys Targaryen | 13% | She’s fair and true to her word |
| Formidable leader with a caring heart | ||
| She doesn’t take any rubbish | ||
| She’s firm but fair | ||
| Oh come on, she has dragons | ||
| Tyrion Lannister | 12% | Because he ultimately wants a harmonious relationship between the government and the people |
| Has brains and compassion | ||
| Unlike our present government Tyrion is fair, thinks of the people before himself and has his head screwed on | ||
| Educated, cunning, good communicator | ||
| Has the knowledge to make a good job of it | ||
| Bran Stark | 5% | Good predictor of trouble |
| He can see the future so plan for what will happen | ||
| He’s level headed | ||
| Is spiritually aware | ||
| Brains | ||
| Melisandre of Asshai | 5% | Because of her experience as a translator |
| Better at the job | ||
| She will be able to use her skill to protect us | ||
| She would be better than Theresa May | ||
| Powerful | ||
| Jaime Lannister | 5% | Because he is more powerful |
| Knows what he wants | ||
| Good game | ||
| Has passion and bravery | ||
| Need someone to stir things up a little | ||
| Theon Greyjoy | 3% | He would rock the place |
| Honest | ||
| Strong person | ||
| Cersei Lannister | 3% | Such class, such power! |
| Knows how to win | ||
| Ruthless, gets what she wants, pragmatic | ||
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