British tourism is promoting Bollywood shooting locales as tourist attractions

After creating a ‘Bollywood map’ of Britain, tourist authorities here plan to cash in on the successes of popular Indian blockbusters through the concept of ‘set-jetting’—that is  taking people to the sets and locations where they were filmed.

On any given day, several Bollywood films are shot in Britain. The importance of the overseas market has grown in recent years, with several films raking in as much as 50% of their profits from the British and US markets alone.

Diaspora themes strumming the heart strings of millions of Indians living abroad are woven into films that go on to become blockbusters, such as Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge (1995) and Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Ghum (2001).

The sector has grown so much in recent years that Britain’s tourism officials have come up with a ‘Bollywood map’ of Britain, depicting the locations where prominent Indian films were shot. “Set-jetting is a great way of marketing a destination and Britain’s popularity as a location for many of the biggest films has helped VisitBritain to lead the way in capitalising on this ‘screen magic’,” Tom Wright, chief executive of VisitBritain, the national tourism agency, said.

“Showcasing destinations through films helps maintain the enduring popularity of our beautiful landscapes and countryside, centuries of history, iconic characters, actors and actresses and literary greats,” he added.