TV Drama is an Inspiration for Holiday Makers
Published: 7 March 2011
Tourism chiefs are hoping as the series finale of the BBC's period drama South Riding comes to a close millions of viewers will be feeling inspired to make Yorkshire this year's holiday destination.
Filmed on location around Yorkshire, the three part TV adaptation of Winifred Holtby's 1936 novel took over where Downtown Abbey left off, satisfying the passions of period drama enthusiasts up and down the country. Featuring the Bradford city region, including Saltaire; Leeds and the Harewood Estate; York; Harrogate and Skipton, the series highlighted the breadth of what the UK's largest county has to offer.
East Yorkshire featured heavily as it was here that Winifred Holtby was born and it served as the inspiration behind the fictional South Riding. The coastal resorts of Skipsea, Bridlington, and Hornsea can also be added to the list of filmed locations tourism officials are hoping holiday makers will choose as their holiday destinations this coming season.
Gary Verity, chief executive of Welcome to Yorkshire, is keen to encourage film and TV production companies and ‘setjetters' into the county:
"The impact that films and TV adaptations of this nature have on the way we perceive a destination is immeasurable. They open up the imagination to the possibility that we can actually access the places and locations which have served to inspire us. Thousands of people flock to the scenes where family favourites such as Last of the Summer Wine and Heartbeat where shot as do younger viewers hoping to gain a glimpse of the train and location used in the Harry Potter films."
Welcome to Yorkshire is tapping into this cultural market with various film, TV and literary initiatives and is working with the national media museum to capitalise on its UNESCO City of Film status. The tourism agency also supported and will be launching ITV's new fly on the wall documentary series The Dales later this month which hoped to attract further visitors to the county.
Mr Verity continues:
"It has been a fantastic couple of months for Yorkshire's profile, especially following the award winning King's Speech which featured Leeds and Bradford. New adaptations of Room at the Top, Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre, due for release soon, gives us further opportunities to promote Yorkshire to key markets. The impact of placing our marvellous county on screens both here and abroad is great news for production companies, the associated industries they support and the tourism businesses who feel the knock on benefits of hosting film lovers within Yorkshire."
- ENDS -
Editors' Notes:
South Riding featured the following locations:
Bridlington (Royal Princes Parade and North beach) East Yorkshire
Skipsea, East Yorkshire
Sunk Island, East Yorkshire
Hornsea, East Yorkshire
Rise Hall, East Yorkshire
Harewood Estate, Leeds
Morley Town Hall, Leeds
Garden Gate Pub, Leeds
Saltaire Village, Bradford
Salts Mill, Bradford
Keighley Town Hall, Bradford
Connaught Rooms, Bradford
University Of York
Gledstone Hall, Near Skipton
Harrogate
About Welcome to Yorkshire
• Welcome to Yorkshire is the official tourism agency for Yorkshire, working to grow the county's visitor economy.
• Welcome to Yorkshire is funded by Yorkshire Forward, the Regional Development Agency charged with improving the Yorkshire and Humber economy.
• Key facts include:
• Tourism in Yorkshire is worth £7 billion annually
• The county's industry employs almost a quarter of a million people
• There are 216 million visits to Yorkshire each year
For more news and a free image bank /mediacentre
For further information contact:
Beverley Richmond - Press Officer
Email: brichmond@yorkshire.com
Direct Line: 0113 322 3507
Mobile: 07769 257380
Dee Marshall - Head of Communications
Email: dmarshall@yorkshire.com
Direct Line: 0113 3223505
Mobile: 07950 325 901