'Game of Thrones' Studio Tour to Open in Northern Ireland
A Game of Thrones Studio Tour is planned to open in Northern Ireland in spring 2021.
Linen Mill Studios is located in Banbridge, a town about 30 minutes southwest of Belfast. The studio was used to film some of the television show's most famous scenes, and the local council has now given permission to make the 10,000-square-meter space into a $31 million tourist attraction.
The studio tour will give visitors the chance to see original sets, costumes and items used to create the world of Game of Thrones. The attraction is expected to welcome 600,000 visitors each year, which could create $515 million in tourism revenue every year for Northern Ireland.
Game of Thrones was a huge success around the world during its eight seasons, winning 59 Emmy Awards.
About 75% of the show was filmed in Northern Ireland, using Linen Mill Studios and many other locations. In 2019, Tourism Northern Ireland said that about 350,000 people come to Northern Ireland every year because of the show, and several companies already run regular trips to locations used in the show.
Judith Webb of Tourism Northern Ireland told the BBC that the show has made Northern Ireland into a "leading international screen tourism destination."
Northern Ireland's other main tourist attractions include Titanic Belfast, the world's largest Titanic visitor attraction, and the Giant's Causeway, an area of about 40,000 natural stone columns that look like they could be part of a huge road made by a giant.
