Fictional wizard Harry Potter has been enlisted by the British Tourist Authority to help boost the ailing tourism industry. Following a six per cent drop in overseas visitors this year, largely attributed to the foot and mouth crisis, the BTA hopes Harry can work his magic and lure tourists back to Britain.
The campaign is set to launch in October and will feature a special Harry Potter map which points out sites from the forthcoming film, Harry Potter And the Philosopher’s Stone. The Potter-trail will include Gloucester Cathedral, which represents the famed Hogwarts School in the movie, as well as the Australian High Commission in London, which poses as the fictional Gringotts Bank. Other stops include the Edinburgh café where author JK Rowling famously dreamed up the unforgettable characters.
“We believe Harry Potter can bring a lot of tourists to Britain,” says BTA spokesman Jo Leslie. “The film is probably going to be even bigger than the books and generate a huge interest in Harry Potter around the world. We intend to capitalise on that.”
The Harry Potter books have sold upwards of 90 million copies worldwide, and have been translated into over 40 languages. Harry Potter And the Goblet Of Fire, the fourth instalment in the series, became the fastest-selling book in British publishing history when it hit shelves last year.
The big screen adaptation of the first book, which stars John Cleese, Dame Maggie Smith and newcomer Daniel Radcliffe as the titular hero, is set to open in cinemas on both sides of the Atlantic in November.
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Photo: © Alphapress.com
