What Game of Thrones Did To Croatia, Bridgerton Does For UK

Dearest Gentle Reader, this author is pleased to announce that the Bridgerton universe has achieved a milestone: The hit show has added over £275 million to the UK economy since its launch in December 2020. The boost has impacted nearly 5,000 UK businesses in five years, according to Netflix reports.

Its Regency-era allure not only intrigued viewers around the globe, but also fuelled tourism, injecting over 5 million pounds into Bath, Bristol, and nearby locales, the report said.

Cinema tourism is not new and it's far from being a passing trend. In fact, it has grown, fuelled by the explosion of OTT streaming services and a surge in content consumption during the pandemic. From binge-watching favourites to globe-trotting to iconic film locations, it's an adventure for movie buffs that offer a unique and exciting way to experience the reel magic in real life.

The trend certainly isn’t limited to the UK!

Earlier, the popular HBO show 'Game of Thrones' helped in turbo-boosting Croatia’s economy through tourism in the picturesque city of Dubrovnik, shown as King’s Landing, the capital of Westeros.

Another popular show that has grabbed eyeballs on OTT platform Netflix is Emily In Paris, which follows the life of an American marketing professional in the French capital.

According to a January survey by France’s National Center for Cinema and Animated Image, 10% of foreign tourists visited France after watching "specific media".

The series has significantly boosted local businesses in the capital. La Boulangerie Moderne, a 19th-century bakery on Rue des Fossés Saint-Jacques, attributes 40% of its customers to the show, after Emily is shown enjoying a pain au chocolat there, according to a Forbes Report.

While the tourism boost has helped economies and businesses across the world, the overcrowding and inconvenience to the locals has been a cause of concern.

Croatia's Dubrovnik is a prime example of the effects of mass tourism. The UNESCO in 2017 warned that the city's world heritage title was at risk because of the surge in tourist numbers. The local authorities had to make cutbacks to tourist numbers in a bid to prevent overcrowding.

In a similar scenario, locals who used to frequent the Emily In Paris-fame Italian restaurant, complain that it is now too expensive and too busy. The show has also faced some hostility after photos of graffiti appeared against the show in Le Parisien and UK newspapers, saying things like 'Emily Not Welcome' and 'South Paris Is Not Yours' in February.

Though the struggling UK economy got a boost through the hit show Bridgerton, only time will tell whether the growth will sustain or the authorities will end up pulling some strings to control the overtourism of the serene town of Bath in UK (that served as a shooting location for the show).