TRACING the steps of King Arthur’s beginnings at Tintagel Castle, VisitBritain has recently launched an international film tourism campaign to showcase why Britain is a legendary tourist destination, in the run-up to the release of King Arthur: Legend of the Sword this May.

The six-week ‘Where Stories Become Legends’ digital campaign, a non-commercial partnership between VisitBritain and Warner Bros Pictures, inspires people to book a King Arthur themed holiday to Britain, using #OMGBLegends (Oh My Great Britain Home of Legendary Moments).

VisitBritain director of marketing, Clare Mullin, said: “From watching the sunset from the Old Man of Storr on the Isle of Skye, to walking in King Arthur’s footsteps in majestic Snowdonia, to retracing his story at Tintagel Castle in Cornwall, Britain’s epic scenery, ancient history and magical landscapes have the power to transform our holiday experiences into the stuff of legends.

“Our collaboration with Warner Bros Pictures on King Arthur: Legend of the Sword is a fantastic opportunity to showcase to a global audience of millions the legendary experiences only available in Britain, inspiring people to book a trip right now to discover their own epic stories.”

VisitBritain has been promoting Britain to the world through film for more than a decade, most recently as part of the UK government’s GREAT Britain campaign. Films and TV are powerful motivators for travel, with VisitBritain’s research showing that more than a third of all potential visitors to Britain want to visit places they have seen on screen.

Last year was a record-breaker for inbound tourism to the UK with 37.3-million visits, up 3.4% on 2015, with visitors spending £22.2-billion, matching 2015’s record spend.

VisitBritain’s forecast shows that this growth is set to continue, with 38.8-million visits this year, while spending by overseas visitors is predicted to reach £23.9-billion. Tourism is worth £127-billion to the UK economy.