What is ‘set jetting’? And why some say there’s ‘untapped potential’

Published

9 months ago

January 3, 2025

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There remains “untapped potential” in screen tourism, according to some who work in the industry.

Hit shows such as Bridgerton, Game Of Thrones and Gavin & Stacey have attracted visitors to some of the locations used to film the series.

But some say that more could be done to reap the rewards of the trend of visiting TV and film locations, sometimes known as “set jetting”.

Glenda Kenyon, 71, owns one of the houses used to film Gavin & Stacey, on Trinity Street in Barry Island.

Ms Kenyon told Sky News that since opening up her home to location tours, she had welcomed 28,398 visitors through her door over the years.

“I’ve had people from Hawaii, Africa, India, Cardiff, London, and a lot more places than that,” she said.

“Honest to god, I love it, I love the show. If I didn’t love the show, I wouldn’t be doing this.”

Having lived in Barry for 35 years, Ms Kenyon says she has seen a lot of change in the town and that she expects there will be “a lot more coaches” visiting after the recent finale.

“In the beginning, when they first started, they don’t tell you they’re going to come back and do another one,” she said.

“I will miss it, but I know I’ve still got the tours and that’s good for me.”

The latest official statistics from the British Film Institute show that inbound tourists spend an estimated £892m annually in film-related screen tourism in the UK.

A total of 19% of the UK domestic holiday market reported that visiting locations featured in TV, film or literature was an experience they would like to do during a holiday or short break in the country, according to Welsh government research.

‘Deeply undeveloped’

Robert Dowling, 51, worked as a national tour guide in Ireland before he set up the Game Of Thrones Tours company in late 2012 to showcase some of the series’ locations in Northern Ireland.

Mr Dowling told Sky News he believed there was “untapped potential” in screen tourism.

“Screen tourism remains deeply undeveloped…it’s kind of a new field now, it’s quite exciting,” he said.

“I suspect Game Of Thrones will still be a thing 10 or 20 years from now, and therefore we can invest with confidence that there will be demand.

“That’s my argument for why we should develop screen tourism, because I think it has an enduring appeal.”

More than a decade since the series first aired, he said the tours can be “emotional” and “moving” as visitors embrace the nostalgia, with some even deciding to get engaged at the featured locations.

“My motive for it was really to show people the beauty of County Down and County Antrim in Northern Ireland,” he said.

“By the time season two came out [in 2012] I said ‘Right, this is going to be a thing, this is just awesome’, because those two seasons are very big on Northern Ireland locations”.

With a total of eight seasons and a number of spin-off series comes a whole host of locations to explore and share with fans.

“We’ve tweaked the itinerary as we went through all eight seasons of Game Of Thrones to include new stuff, and we’re going to have to do that again in 2025,” he added.

“It’s great that there’s more to come with A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms, so we’ve at least three more years of footage and locations to get up on screen to strengthen that relationship between the franchise and Northern Ireland.”

‘Kept on attracting visitors’

Fred Mawer, 59, has lived in Bath for 20 years and has been working as a tour guide for the last six.

In addition to his usual tours of the city, he has created a bespoke tour of locations featured in Netflix series Bridgerton.

He told Sky News the show had proved “incredibly popular” and had brought some people to Bath “who wouldn’t necessarily have done the tours otherwise”.

He was asked to do a Bridgerton tour in 2021 for the annual Bath Festival and since then he has continued the tours outside of the festival too.

“It’s kept on going, I mean it really does have longevity because obviously there have been more seasons of Bridgerton released,” he said.

“Season one, with an enormous amount of filming in Bath, [was the] biggest thing that’s ever been filmed in the city, 14 locations across the city, but also some more filming for those other seasons as well.

“So it’s kept on attracting visitors and people coming to do the tours in subsequent years.”

But Mr Mawer fears “there may be much less” filming in Bath for season four after reports that the production company had bought a stage set replicating Bath’s Royal Crescent.

The “million-dollar question” for Mr Mawer is what impact that could have going forward on tours specifically designed to showcase some of the show’s locations.

“It’s hard to know at the moment what impact it would have if the production company does not come back and film any more in Bath and just use the stage set,” he added.

“There will certainly still be a market for Bridgerton tours because of all the filming that took place for the first seasons.

“It may not be quite so appealing for people to come on the tours if the filming stops altogether in Bath.”

But given the avid nature of fans’ attachment to some TV series and movies, those involved in the world of set jetting believe its popularity is only set to continue.

UK

Police appeal to trace further 18 people linked to disorder at Unite the Kingdom march

Published

4 hours ago

September 22, 2025

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Police appeal to trace further 18 people linked to disorder at Unite the Kingdom march

Police have appealed for help to identify an additional 18 people suspected of public order offences and assaults on emergency workers on the day of the Unite the Kingdom march.

Between 110,000 and 150,000 people attended the rally in central London on 13 September, the Metropolitan Police estimates.

Protesters heard a number of speeches, including from far-right activist Tommy Robinson, who organised the rally and called it the “biggest freedom of speech” event in British history.

An anti-racism counter-protest, attended by about 5,000 campaigners, also took place, with the two groups clashing on Whitehall and Trafalgar Square, separated by lines of police.

Police previously said 24 people were arrested at the protests, 23 of whom are believed to have been involved in the Unite the Kingdom rally, while one was believed to be involved in the counter-protest.

The force launched an appeal to identify 11 people last week, one of whom was identified.

Officers now want to speak to a further 18 people “in connection with a range of public order offences and assaults on emergency workers” and have released 16 new images.

The Met previously said 26 officers were assaulted with kicks and punches, adding: “Bottles, flares and other projectiles were also thrown and concerted attempts were made to get past barriers.”

“Our post-event investigation continues and officers have looked through hundreds of hours of CCTV footage to review evidence to help with further inquiries,” said Detective Chief Inspector Natalie Norris.

“We have 28 people we want to speak to in connection with a range of offences – and we are again appealing for the public’s help to track them down.”

People may have travelled from outside London, so she said she was asking people “across the country” to look at a number of pictures that have been released and to get in touch if they recognise anyone.

UK

UK to push peace plan at UN summit after recognising Palestinian state – but Netanyahu says Palestine ‘will not happen’

Published

10 hours ago

September 22, 2025

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UK to push peace plan at UN summit after recognising Palestinian state - but Netanyahu says Palestine 'will not happen'

The UK is set to push for a peace plan for the Middle East at the UN General Assembly after recognising the state of Palestine.

Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper is expected to use the summit to address civilian suffering in war-torn Gaza and aim to strengthen “the international consensus on our pathway for peace in the Middle East”.

She will hold bilateral meetings to advance elements of the peace plan, including security measures to ensure Hamas has no role in the future governance of Gaza, according to the Foreign Office.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, who won’t attend the summit, announced on Sunday that the UK recognises Palestine as an independent state, to “revive the hope of peace for the Palestinians and Israelis, and a two-state solution”.

It is a significant moment in the history of Britain’s involvement in the region, and comes as the number of people killed during the Gaza conflict continues to rise and conditions for the people trapped become even more desperate.

Australia, Canada and Portugal made similar announcements, with France expected to follow suit at the UN on Monday.

The move was met with fierce backlash by Israel, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying it was “absurd” and a “huge reward to terrorism”. He also vowed that a Palestinian state “will not happen”.

Separately, an Israeli official said the “full or partial annexation of the West Bank” is now “an option under consideration in response” to the move.

US President Donald Trump also addressed the coordinated recognition of the state of Palestine by the UK, Australia, Canada and Portugal, saying “I’m not in that camp” because recognising a Palestinian state was “rewarding Hamas”.

The families of hostages held in Gaza called it a “betrayal of humanity and a move that rewards Hamas while 48 hostages remain in captivity”.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said the recognition of the state of Palestine would allow it to “live side by side with the State of Israel in security, peace, and good neighbourliness”.

Senior Hamas official Mahmoud Mardawi reportedly celebrated the move as a victory for “the justice of our cause”.

But Sir Keir was clear to emphasise that recognition of Palestine was “not a reward for Hamas”, saying the terror group “can have no future, no role in government, no role in security” in a future state and confirming plans to ratchet up sanctions on Hamas “in the coming weeks”.

“Our call for a genuine two-state solution is the exact opposite of their hateful vision,” he added.

The prime minister also repeated his criticism of Israel, which for nearly two years has waged war on the densely populated Gaza Strip.

“The Israeli government’s relentless and increasing bombardment of Gaza, the offensive of recent weeks, the starvation and devastation are utterly intolerable,” he said.

The number of people killed in Gaza since the IDF launched its offensive following the 7 October attacks has now risen above 65,000, according to Hamas-run health authorities.

“This death and destruction horrifies all of us. It must end,” Sir Keir said.

In recognising Palestine as a state, the UK does so based on 1967 borders to be finalised as part of future negotiations. It would be led by a “reformed Palestinian Authority”.

The UK also acknowledges “all legal rights and obligations of statehood” for Palestine.

An updated map on the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office website now has the West Bank and Gaza labelled as ‘Palestine’ rather than the ‘Occupied Palestinian Territories’. This change has been rolled out across the website.

UK

UK officially recognises Palestine as a state

Published

22 hours ago

September 21, 2025

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UK officially recognises Palestine as a state

Sir Keir Starmer has announced the UK has officially recognised Palestine as a state.

“Today, to revive the hope of peace for the Palestinians and Israelis, and a two state solution, the United Kingdom formally recognises the State of Palestine,” the prime minister said on X, alongside a longer video statement.

“In the face of the growing horror in the Middle East, we are acting to keep alive the possibility of peace and a two-state solution.

“That means a safe and secure Israel alongside a viable Palestinian state. At the moment, we have neither.”

Follow latest: Palestine recognised as a state by three countries

Canada and Australia also officially recognised Palestinian statehood on Sunday, ahead of a conference of the UN General Assembly in New York this week.

It is a significant moment in the history of Britain’s involvement in the region, and comes as the death toll from the Israeli war on Gaza continues to rise and conditions for the people trapped become even more desperate.

Sir Keir said in July that the government would recognise Palestine unless Israel met certain conditions, including agreeing to a ceasefire and allowing the UN to restart the supply of aid.

In recognising Palestine as a state, the UK does so based on 1967 borders to be finalised as part of future negotiations. It would be led by a “reformed Palestinian Authority”.

The UK also acknowledges “all legal rights and obligations of statehood” for Palestine.

Sir Keir calls on Hamas to release the hostages

The prime minister repeated his calls for the the Israeli hostages – held in captivity since the brutal attacks on Israel on 7 October, 2023 – to be released by Hamas.

“I have met British families of the hostages. I see the torture that they endure each and every day. Pain that strikes deep in people’s hearts across Israel and here in the United Kingdom.

“The hostages must be released immediately and we will keep fighting to bring them home.”

Sir Keir was also clear to emphasise that recognition of Palestine was “not a reward for Hamas”, saying that the terror group “can have no future, no role in government, no role in security” in a future state.

“I have directed work to sanction other Hamas figures in the coming weeks,” he added.

Starmer calls on Israel to end Gaza offensives

Sir Keir also repeated his criticism of Israel, which for nearly two years has waged a brutal war on the densely-populated Gaza Strip.

“The Israeli government’s relentless and increasing bombardment of Gaza, the offensive of recent weeks, the starvation and devastation are utterly intolerable.”

The death toll in Gaza since the IDF launched its offensive following the 7 October attacks has now risen above 65,000 people, according to Hamas-run health authorities.

“This death and destruction horrifies all of us. It must end,” he said.

British people ‘desperately want to see’ peace

Sir Keir also said: “Ordinary people, Israeli and Palestinian, deserve to live in peace. To try to rebuild their lives free from violence and suffering.

“That’s what the British people desperately want to see.”

But he warned that the possibility of a Palestinian state was in danger of vanishing forever.

“With the actions of Hamas, the Israeli government escalating the conflict, and settlement building being accelerated in the West Bank, the hope of a two-state solution is fading, but we cannot let that light go out.

“That is why we are building consensus with leaders in the region and beyond, around our framework for peace.”

Sir Keir said this is a “practical plan” to bring people together behind a “common vision” that moves from a ceasefire in Gaza to negotiations on a two-state solution.

“We will keep driving this forward,” he pledged.