FILM tourism is set to become a significant new tourism driver for Strangford and Lecale with the recent announcement that Tourism Ireland has joined forces with US Television network HBO to attract fans of the hit TV series Game of Thrones to Northern Ireland.
This year’s Maritime Festival lets local people and visitors alike sample what tourists are prepared to ‘set-jet’ half way round the world for.
Game of Thrones’ average weekly audience for season three over all platforms was over 14 million people, and was broadcast in almost 60 countries — making it the biggest series currently on air. Season four is set to exceed those figures.
Much of Strangford and Lecale’s stunning scenery and locations have featured throughout the different episodes and this year, the area’s annual Maritime Festival shows off some of these locations during six, three-hour coach tours being delivered by Quinn’s Coaches.
Quinn’s have developed and packaged a popular full day trip called Tour of Thrones and have adapted and shortened their normal tour for the festival, delivering fully guided tours of several locations, including Castleward (Winterfell and the House of Stark, where Ned greeted King Robert on his arrival) the Quoile (site of the Tully funeral scenes) Inch Abbey (the Riverlands area and site of Ned’s son’s war camp).
Speaking about the tours, Hugh McCloy of Quinn’s Coaches said they have been extremely popular, attracting people from many different countries.
“We already have great bookings for the Strangford Lough Maritime Festival and we’ve not started to fully promote it yet,” he said.
“This kind of tourism is getting more and more popular and can be a great boost to rural economies — after they filmed Harry Potter at Alnwick Castle, there was a 230% increase in revenue which was an extra £9m spend for the ‘Potter Effect.’ In Northern Ireland we’re now starting to see the ‘Thrones Effect’.”
For the Strangford Lough and Lecale Partnership, the ‘Thrones Effect’ is a great way to showcase an area of outstanding natural beauty, and while visitors are coming to encounter Game of Thrones they will also be able to encounter a lot more, encouraging them to return to the area in the future.
Partnership manager, Caroline Nolan, said: “If Game of Thrones can help us promote our area’s world-renowned landscapes, heritage, wildlife and maritime history, then we’ll be delighted to tap into that.
“A recent study by Visit Britain showed that 40% of tourists wish to visit locations they’ve seen on films and that puts Strangford and Lecale right at the heart of the action, with recent films like Dracula, which were filmed at Castleward and Mountstewart, and also Game of Thrones.
“As an organisation we’re all about supporting the local economy in environmentally sustainable ways so we’ll be delighted this year if we can attract lots of new people to the area via film tourism and in doing so, help to provide income for rural businesses,” she added.
This year’s Maritime Festival is the biggest yet with over 50 family events, mostly free, including the ever popular Magnus Vikings, who are setting up camp for the weekend in Portaferry with Viking war games for children, archery, a Viking street market and a new event for 2014 featuring a torch-lit Viking procession, followed by the ceremonial burning of a Viking Long-Ship in Portaferry Park on Saturday, May 31 at 6pm.
Alongside that will be lots of arts, craft and storytelling for children, shore and nature walks, boat trips, talks, music and an eclectic mix of artists at the Arts and Craft Fair in Strangford village.
For up to date information on all of the events please visit www.strangfordlough.org or pick up a programme at your local tourist information centre.
To book boat trips please contact the Strangford Lough and Lecale Partnership: Tel: 028 427 28886 / 29005 or email Margaret.byers@strangfordlough.org To book Game of Thrones Coach Tours, contact Quinns Coach Hire 028 8673 7325 or email hugh@quinnscoahhire.com