‘Netflix Effect’: Scotland Braces For Tourist Surge Following ‘Outlaw King’ Launch
In Game of Thrones, Croatia’s ancient coastal city of Dubrovnik doubles as King’s Landing, the capital of the Seven Kingdoms.
But as Quartz observed, “just like the Targaryen’s dragons” tourism in Dubrovnik is becoming a beast the city is unable to control; the government has resorted to making cutbacks to tourist numbers in an effort to prevent overcrowding as people from all over the world arrive to visit and explore the King’s Landing.
The same is now happening in Scotland, the Guardian reports.
Last week, Netflix launched Outlaw King, a move about the life of Scottish King, Robert the Bruce. Filmed in Scotland, the feature is guaranteed to attract tourists.
Tour guide Frances Murray explains that this will not be the first time for the country to experience the so-called “Netflix effect,” the same phenomenon occurred following the launch and huge success of Outlander.
Malcolm Roughead, the chief executive of VisitScotland, adds that data shows that one new job is created in the country for every $77,000 tourists spend.
“Tourism is integral to sustaining communities across Scotland by generating income, creating jobs and stimulating social change – and it generates around £11 ($14) billion of economic activity.”
According to Roughead, tourist spending accounts for approximately $11 billion of direct and indirect spending, which represents 4.5 percent of Scotland’s economy.
Furthermore, according to an analysis by the Scottish government, film and television tourism is vital for improving growth in the tourism sector.
Scotland’s Culture and Tourism Minister Fiona Hyslop noted that it is not only the tourism sector that stands to benefit from productions moving to Scotland, but also the country’s technical crews.
“Producers now know that when they choose Scotland, as well as magnificent scenery and locations they’re now getting highly-skilled and professional technical crews to go with them.”
As for Outlaw King, the film is being praised by critics and audiences alike.
The true story behind 'Outlaw King' https://t.co/kiDPGUrqSY
— TIME (@TIME) November 10, 2018
Directed by David Mackenzie, known for Young Adam, Starred Up, and Hell or High Water, the drama about Scotland’s independence has been compared to Braveheart by the Atlantic, which described the film as a more realistic version of Mel Gibson’s Oscar-winning hit, since it manages to resist “the inspirational trope of combat automatically conferring glory.”
Croatia and Scotland are not the only countries to benefit from the “Netflix effect.”
A Barclays survey published by the Telegraph reveals that the United Kingdom as a whole — England in particular — is experiencing a tourist boon thanks to Netflix’s series, The Crown.
According to the survey, 63 percent of international tourists are more interested in visiting the United Kingdom than previous years, thanks to Peter Morgan’s drama about Queen Elizabeth II’s reign.
