NEW research from The National Lottery has revealed how tourist patterns, including those in North Wales, have been inspired by TV and films.

Comissioned on behalf of The National Lottery Open Week, it was discovered that 61 per cent of Welsh adults had been inspired by TV and films to book trips and days out at locations that feature in them, with North Wales’ Bodnant Garden and Snowdonia National Park amongst the top places people across the nation have visited because they feature in hit TV shows and movies.

Snowdonia, seen in ‘King Arthur: Legend of the Sword’, and Bodnant Garden, used in the 2020 version of ‘The Secret Garden’, were North Wales’ inclusions on the top twenty list of places inspired by drama.

Almost a third (32 per cent) of Welsh adults have ventured to such places in the hope of experiencing ‘the magic of TV’, three in ten (29 per cent) take a trip ‘to feel closer’ to their favourite characters.

A further third (34 per cent) of those who’ve visited locations featured on screen also say they have done so to get insider knowledge on a show or film.

Darren Henley, Chief Executive of Arts Council England and Chair of The National Lottery Forum, said: “Television and cinema are an integral part of UK culture, providing us with wonderful memories.

“Trips to these sites are pilgrimages that help bring favourite shows and films to life.”

“Thanks to National Lottery players, we’re able to invest in and protect these special places and landscapes across the whole of the UK.

“The National Lottery Open Week is a great opportunity for people to explore some of them, including The Eden Project, Hampton Court Palace and the Black Country Living Museum.

“Alongside hundreds of other venues and attractions, they’ll be offering National Lottery players free entry and special offers to say thank you for the £30m they raise for good causes each week.”

National Lottery players can visit nationallotteryopenweek.com to find the Insider’s Guide to Open Week, special offers and free entry from National Lottery funded venues to say #Thankstoyou for the £30m they raise for good causes each week.