We are officially a nation of television and film fanatics, according to a new study on behalf of megabus, which revealed that over half of Brits have booked trips and days out in the UK because they were inspired by movies or TV shows filmed in those locations.
The poll of 2,000 adults found that 42% of people claim to watch more TV now that the nights are shorter, with one in three tuning in for holiday inspiration. After a summer of travel chaos, two thirds said they were put off travelling abroad because of cancelled flights, and almost three quarters said they they are using recent disruption as an opportunity to see more of the UK.
The megabus survey showed that it isn’t just Hollywood blockbusters driving the trend, with 14% of respondents saying they wanted to visit the gritty location of East London’s Hackney, as seen in ‘Top Boy,’ or the settings where hit show ‘Peaky Blinders’ was filmed. Other popular TV filming desinations include Coronation Street, Manchester; Holmfirth, West Yorkshire; Port Isaac, Cornwall; St Michael’s Mount, Cornwall; Highclere Castle, and; Barry Island, Wales.
As many as one in four said that they wanted to see filming locations from shows of their youth and one in five say they’ve made a travel list based on nostalgic shows.
A third of respondents also revealed that fictional areas top their inspiration list, whereas over half are more drawn to real-life attractions.
The survey found that under 35s are leading the TV-themed travel trend, with 30% saying that TV and films are their main motivation when travelling in the UK. Some fans claimed they would travel over 200 kilometres to visit a specific filming destination, with 22% committed to spend over £200 to travel there. However, others said they had missed out on visiting a TV destination because of the travel costs involved.
To help Brits live out their TV and film travel dreams, megabus has teamed up with film and TV fanatic Alex Zane on a ‘showstopping’ tour of the UK, visiting some of the nation’s favourite silver screen hotspots in Birmingham, London and Manchester. Content available on the megabus website shows Alex at must-visit spots including Paton Street in Manchester, Carnaby Street in London and The Queen’s Arms in Birmingham. Alex said: “As a TV and film superfan, I was thrilled to join megabus on the ultimate telly treasure trail across the UK. And with the help of megabus’ handy downloadable guide to silver screen locations, we can all get a slice of the action. I had so much fun on my very own Mission Impossible in Birmingham, doffing my cap to Peaky Blinders in Manchester and tucking into a fry-up at Top Boy’s Number One Café and much more. It’s no wonder that 58% of Brits said a filming destination they’d seen in a TV show or film was better than they expected!”
Mark Venables, Managing Director of megabus, commented: “Whilst we all love a good TV binge, there’s nothing like visiting the actual place where a much-loved movie or TV show was filmed to bring it to life. With 45% of people planning a trip before the end of the year based on their favourite show, we hope our guides offer inspiration of where to go and what to see in some of the UK’s most famous TV destinations. megabus offers great value coach travel across the country and with services such as extra legroom seats, free WiFi and on-board charging points, customers can enjoy watching their favourite flick en-route to the very destination it was filmed.”
