This document discusses a research project on the impacts of television-induced tourism in Yorkshire, UK. Key points: - Popular TV shows like Emmerdale and The Yorkshire Dales have increased tourism to Yorkshire. - There are both positive and negative impacts, such as increased revenue but also congestion issues. - 30 tourism stakeholders in Yorkshire were interviewed on 7 issues: authenticity, economic benefits, managing the phenomenon, influence of TV programs, importance of media, benefits and drawbacks. - While TV-induced tourism provides economic gains, destinations must manage impacts like overcrowding and maintain authenticity to balance positive and negative effects. Understanding this phenomenon can help destinations plan effectively.

1. A Stakeholders Perspective: TheA Stakeholders Perspective: The
Impacts of Television InducedImpacts of Television Induced
Tourism in Yorkshire, U.K.Tourism in Yorkshire, U.K.
Ms. Noëlle O’Connor,Ms. Noëlle O’Connor, Limerick Institute of Technology,Limerick Institute of Technology,
Ireland.Ireland.
Dr. Sheila Flanagan, Dublin Institute of Technology,Dr. Sheila Flanagan, Dublin Institute of Technology,
Ireland.Ireland.
Professor David Gilbert, University of Surrey, U.K.Professor David Gilbert, University of Surrey, U.K.

2. Introduction
• Overall research project working title;
The importance of destination branding in television
induced tourism locations that have become popular
tourist destinations as a result of their featuring in a
popular movie or television series.
• Hypothesis is that television induced tourism has a
significant impact on the development of a destination.
• Case study - Yorkshire region in the North of
England.

3. Britain’s Movie Industry

4. Famous British TV Series’

5. Background
’tourist visits to a destination or attraction as a result of the destination being featured
on television,’ (Grihault, 2003, 3).
• People reading less - movies, videos and television becoming
more important
• To date 20% visitors come (U.K.) due to television and movie
exposure
• Minimal use of such tourism within destination marketing
strategies
• Yorkshire’s tourism has been influenced by popular television
series’
• Fictional television series’ have the advantage of repeat
viewing;
• UK
• Emmerdale & The Yorkshire Dales
• Monarch of the Glen and Scotland Busby & Klug, 2001).
• Australia
• Sea Change and Barwons Bay (Beeton, 2005)
• USA
• Sex and the City and New York.
• ).

6. Negative Impacts Of Television
Induced Tourism
• Lack of preparedness by locals in coping with tourist influx
• O’Connor (2000) and Ballykissangel
• O’Connor, Flanagan and Russell, (2005); Mordue (2001) and Yorkshire
• Destination image alteration
• Beeton (2001) and Los Angeles/Boyz in the Hood
• Not recognising the pulling power of a film
• Riley and Van Doren (1992) and Mississippi Burning.

7. Positive Impacts Of Television
Induced Tourism
• Destination image alteration
• Riley and Van Doren (1998) and Dallas
• Chambers (1989) and Miami Vice
• Government support
• Public and private agencies - capitalisation (‘Herriot / Heartbeat
Countries’).
• Long term impact of movie induced tourism on a destination
• Deliverance (Georgia, USA) - raft and adventure tourism industry.
• Dances with Wolves (Historic Fort Hayes) - increase of 25% in 1990-91
• The use of imagery in the media
• In the U.K., castles, abbeys and stately homes are enjoying a tourist
boom - Hamlet, Sense and Sensibility and Mrs Brown (Corlett, 1998).
• The economic impact of movie induced tourism
• An economic impact study of the effect of the film Rob Roy identified a
STG£7m revenue injection into the region (Ross, 2003).
• Braveheart brought STG£100m in revenue to Stirling (Hydra Associates,
1997)

8. Methodology
• Strategic conversations were carried out in July and August 2006, with
30 of the key tourism and film stakeholders in Yorkshire and the UK.
• All respondents had extensive and specialist knowledge of the specific
matters pertaining to Yorkshire’s tourism industry/U.K. film industry.
• Face to face interviews were deemed appropriate as it provided the
opportunity to strike a rapport with interviewees’.
• This enabled the researcher to explore the relevant issues identified by
the literature and previous research (2003).
• It was helpful that the researcher is not from or living in Yorkshire,
therefore any possible interviewer bias was minimised.

9. Empirical Research
Issue 1: The authenticity of the destinations tourism product
• Tourists want to experience the authenticity of Yorkshires’ tourism product
(Morton, 2006; Coates, 2006; Rhodes, 2006, Barker, 2006, Dodd, 2006).
• Film tourists can be attracted to an area not only through ‘positive’ images but
also through the narrative and characters of the film/television that makes them
want to see where the characters’ ‘live’ and where the story is set (Elliott, 2006).
• Yorkshire is now trying to present a more modern (Rowe-Marshall, 2006).
Issue 2: The importance of tourism to the wider development of the
Yorkshire region
• Yorkshire based television series’ have increased visitors numbers to Yorkshire
(Dodd, 2006; Fernandez-Young, 2006; Guffogg, 2006; Kibblewhite, 2006 and
Rhodes, 2006.
• Goathland has had an increase in their tourist numbers from 200,000 tourists
annually when Heartbeat begun in 1991 to 1.5 million since (Breakell, 2006).
• The newly developed television series The Royal has the same potential
(Breakell, 2006).
• There are few measures in place to evaluate these impacts (Inze, 2006).

10. Empirical Research
Issue 3: The television induced tourism phenomenon
• The quickest way of selling a place is by being in a film
(Edgington, 2006).
• The number of pure television induced devotees is very small
(Fernandez-Young, 2006).
• The multiplier effect continues - the growth of DVD’s this and
the cinema reinvention (Dickins, 2006).
• Television induced tourism is a great way to capitalise on the
positive portrayal of destinations on the screen (Clewley, 2006).
Issue 4: The influence of television programmes
• TV programmes appeal because of their localness, longevity
(Morton, 2006) and their books (James Herriot) (Dodd, 2006).
• An audience will have a greater exposure through weekly
viewing of a television programme (Elliot, 2006; Guffogg, 2006
and Inze, 2006).
• Tempest (2006) maintained that the Last of the Summer Wine is
charming and uses its location well. All Creatures Great and
Small is another great example of TV longevity.

11. Empirical Research
Issue 5: The importance of movies, videos and television
• There are many ways of seeing an image; film, television, internet, posters,
mobile phones and print (Rhodes, 2006).
• The marketing efforts undertaken with the intent of profiting from television
induced tourism is well supported by the stakeholders (Elliott, 2006; Fernandez-
Young, 2006; Smyth, 2006).
• Movies, videos can portray a more realistic visual portrayal of a destination than
literature (Clewley, 2006).
• If books tie in with a movie, they become even more successful - Master and
Commander, Dickens and Bleak House novels.
• The strongest international products for Yorkshire are the Brontë and Herriot
books connection (Wragge, 2006; Morton, 2006).

12. Empirical Research
Issue 6: Television induced tourism can add significant benefits to the
development of a destination
• It can generate mass appeal and awareness through its scale of portrayal for a
destination (Clewley, 2006).
• The UK is seen as a success story in relation to this and quantifiable research is
currently being undertaken by the UK Film Council (Steele, 2006).
• The benefits of such tourism include;
• Increased employment in the tourist industry (Shields, 2006),
• Increased product sales (Coates, 2006),
• New hotels (Breakell, 2006),
• The production crew staying in the area (Dickins, 2006),
• Extends the season from March – November (Barker, 2006),
• Increases a feeling of pride in the area (Elliott, 2006),
• It can make a destination more recognisable Rowe-Marshall (2006).
• Movie induced tourism contributes financial factors and it is an ongoing positive
thing for the little villages (Rhodes, 2006) but what happens the local economy
when it stops? (Barker, 2006).

13. Empirical Research
Issue 7: The drawbacks of television induced tourism to a destination
• If a private residence is used in a production (The Monarch of the Glen), tourists
have might seek out the house which can have a negative impact on the owner.
• The image reflected in the movie may not be complementary to the destination
brand or accurately reflect the reality in the destination (Inze, 2006).
• DMO’s have no control over the destination image portrayed (Tempest, 2006).
• Negative visitor management issues have arisen in Yorkshire (Barker, 2006)
• Congestion (Morton, 2006) - Goathland and Aysgarth Falls (Shields, 2006).
• Problems arise if the television series is a success and no infrastructure has been put
in place to maximise the opportunity or manage the demand (Inze, 2006).
• disruption to the locals (Dickins, 2006) and also the creative use of a filming location
(displacement) (Guffogg, 2006).
• The negative effects can often overwhelm a smaller destination (Clewley,
2006) e.g. Heartbeat and Goathland
• If a series uses a location heavily, the disruption can be quite tiring for the residents.
• Tourists are using it as the base for touring the area (Kibblewhite, 2006).
• Erosion had a major impact on the village.
• Tourists are also disappointed that Goathland is in the 21st century and not in the 1960’s as it
is set (Fernandez-Young, 2006).

14. Empirical Research
Issue 7: Television programmes can induce people to visit destinations
• Supported by the stakeholders (Barker, 2006; Dodd, 2006; Elliott, 2006; Evans,
2006 and Steele, 2006).
• Tourists seeking such sites demonstrate 'irresistible drive' to find locations to
which an emotional link has been forged through television (Reeves, 2003).
• Inze (2006) stated that the television induced tourism phenomenon seems likely
given the fact that tour operators have begun creating television branded tours
to meet the demand.
• The Herriot (Yorkshire Dales), Heartbeat (Goathland) and Summer Wine (Holmfirth)
country brands still encourage people to visit these areas (Inze, 2006).

15. Conclusions
• Television induced tourism is an untapped and little understood
field of research.
• In the past, it has been incidental to the programme itself with
little consideration given to the long-term effects filming may
have on a region.
• There are both positive and negative impacts of filming in
Yorkshire.
• Issues - future development, overcrowding, congestion, increasing
real estate values community pride and economic benefits.
• It contributes economically to the region and has led to an increase
in employment.
• There is a need to study other regions most notably Australia
and the USA for the filming of popular television series.
• It would also be of interest to study the difference between the
towns and villages that consistently succeed and those that
don’t.
• Yorkshires’ tourism organisations can maintain long-term
survival through developing a better understanding of the
tourism impacts.

16. Conclusions
• The authenticity of their tourism product needs to be contemplated as visitors
now wish to get behind the scenes and learn more about foreign cultures.
• To provide such authenticity and maintain the daily routine of their community is
one of the great challenges facing the residents.
• However, for such positive impacts to outweigh the negative, tourism does need
to receive more attention from tourism authorities and be properly planned at an
earlier stage than often actually occurs.
• It is crucial to keep abreast of what is shooting where and maintaining the
relationship between the production company, the local authorities, tourism
officers and the screen agencies is the only way initially.