'Game of Thrones' locations witness surge in tourist interest

The "Game of Thrones" phenomenon has led to an increase in the interest of tourists to various destinations filmed in the popular American fantasy drama television series, as per a report.
Due to the popularity of the "Game of Thrones" show, themed tours which showcase the most famous filming locations have surged in almost every destination, says the report compiled by TripAdvisor.
"They offer a new and entertaining way to discover popular destinations, with the Game of Thrones Walking Tour of Dubrovnik in Croatia as the most booked tour to date," it says.
"Pop culture and television can have a powerful influence on travel and our data reveals that the 'Game of Thrones' phenomenon has driven a remarkable increase in tourism to numerous destinations in Europe," TripAdvisor's senior director of communications Brooke Ferencsik said.

The traffic increases have been calculated based on the number of unique sessions on TripAdvisor sites from September 2012 to June 2017.
Most destinations have experienced significant increases after being filmed on the show, proving that TV tourism is clearly on the rise, with one in five travellers choosing a destination based on what they saw on the television shows, the report said.

Spain and Iceland experienced an impressive increase in the traffic from international markets, including the US, UK, Canada and Germany, it said.
TripAdvisor traveller data showed peaks in interest from travellers in April and July 2016, when the production company began revealing the new filming locations.

The destinations to have generated the most interest in Spain include Bermeo (109 per cent), followed by Santiponce (over 99 per cent) or Caceres (over 56 per cent), said the report.