VisitBritain’s Mini-Movie Masterpiece, with Scones

70% of tourists say they visit Britain because they want to see the real thing.

If, in 4 minutes, you can sell a destination to a gazillion visitors, you’re pretty smart.

So: bravo to VisitBritain for creating a mini-masterpiece-mashup video of iconic filmic moments that are sure to act as a magnet for visitors. Have a look right here.

The new “Starring GREAT Britain” campaign video was the highlight of a delightful afternoon 05MAR at the swish Toronto home of British Consul General Fouzia Younis. Guests included media, tour ops and show biz types from, for example, Cineplex and TIFF.

Combining British treats – scones with jam and clotted cream, G&Ts – the afternoon was one of a series of launches of the video in 18 markets around the world. From Berlin to Dublin, Sydney to L.A., clients will soon have their wanderlust lusting for Britain.

Landry with British High Commissioner to Canada Robert Tinline, Younis and TIFF’s Cameron Bailey

Featuring stars as diverse as Hugh Grant, Spiderman, Harry Potter, Paddington, Mary Poppins and Bridgerton’s Edwina Sharma, the multi-year campaign will remind us of the gobsmacking TV shows and movies that feature Britain’s scenery, history, architecture and people. And unlike many other movies and shows, the Brits are very proud that theirs are filmed on actual location rather than a sound stage. These are living, breathing, working buildings, stretches of countryside and towns and that alluring British countryside.

(As an example: check out Open Jaw’s previous coverage of a boom in Brit tourism – in this case, the city of Bath and that blockbuster called Bridgerton.)

Gavin Landry, VisitBritain’s International Director; Virgin Atlantic’s Stephen Goulding; door prize winner influencer Solmaz Khosrowshahian; Fouzia Younis, British Consul General in Toronto; and Cathy Stapells, VisitBritain’s Director, Canada

According to the tourist board, a whopping 9 out of 10 potential tourists say they want to visit a location seen in a favourite movie or television show. And when you consider that the UK enjoys about a million Canadian visits per annum, that’s a lot of popcorn.

VisitBritain’s Lynda Falcone with Samantha Paul of DL

Clearly, VisitBritain is also chuffed - Brit-speak for “pleased” - about Virgin Airlines’ (VS) service YYZ-LHR starting 30MAR. And thanks to a new codeshare agreement with WS, there will be feeder flights available from 13 cities across Canada.

As the theme of the afternoon was Britain on the large and little screens, Open Jaw simply had to ask some of the industry honchos about their fave Brit-filmed TV show or movie.

Stephen Nase of Visit Wales is a confirmed Harry Potter enthusiast (“probably 100 times”), while VisitBritain’s National Accounts Manager Lynda Falcone has a soft spot for Wicked. After some consideration, Virgin Atlantic’s Stephen Goulding, cast his vote for Peaky Blinders.

But all had to agree that increased tourism is a lovely by-product of movies and TV shows set in the destination. Cheers to that!