Putting York at the Heart of Yorkshire Screen Tourism

At a glance

What we did: Visit York worked with Visit North Yorkshire, Visit Leeds and VisitBritain to create a screen tourism-focused Yorkshire itinerary for a Canadian journalist on an Air Transat media familiarisation trip.

How it benefits York and beyond: The activity showcased York and the wider region to audiences through the growing “set-jetting” travel trend.

Who it supports: The activity supports Visit York members, regional partners and visitor experiences by raising their profile with potential international visitors.

The key result: Coverage from the trip was published on the Air Transat blog for its French and English-speaking audiences, featuring York Minster alongside filming locations across Yorkshire.

The full story

Visit York has collaborated with Visit North Yorkshire, Visit Leeds and VisitBritain to showcase York and the wider Yorkshire region to Canadian audiences through a media familiarisation trip.

The activity was developed around the growing “set-jetting” travel trend, using popular film and television productions as a starting point for international visitors looking to experience locations featured on screen. The itinerary brought together York’s heritage, attractions and screen tourism connections with experiences across the wider region.

A Canadian journalist visited York and the wider Yorkshire region to explore locations associated with productions including The Crown, Bridgerton, Harry Potter and Wuthering Heights. Within York, the itinerary highlighted the city’s connection with screen tourism, including York Minster, which featured in the final season of The Crown.

The programme also showcased experiences elsewhere in Yorkshire, including Castle Howard’s Bridgerton connections and locations associated with Harry Potter in the North York Moors National Park and North Yorkshire Moors Railway. This wider itinerary helped position York within a broader Yorkshire story, giving international audiences reasons to explore the city alongside other destinations and attractions across the region.

The feature was produced for Air Transat’s blog audiences across its French and English markets and presented Yorkshire as a destination where visitors can experience landscapes, heritage sites and attractions connected with some of the world’s best-known screen productions. 

• English market: “Beyond the Screen: Chasing Famous Filming Spots in Yorkshire”. 
• French market: “7 iconic Yorkshire locations featured on screen”

Led through collaborative destination marketing activity with regional partners, the initiative demonstrates how Visit York can use international travel trends and York’s established screen tourism profile to reach new audiences. By connecting the city with experiences across the wider region, the activity also supports a joined-up approach to destination promotion.

The international exposure provides another opportunity to showcase York’s distinctive visitor experiences and the businesses and attractions that make the city and surrounding area compelling for visitors from overseas. Continued partnership activity of this kind helps strengthen York’s profile in international markets and supports the wider visitor economy.