The long-awaited prequel toGame of Thronesis finally here. While fans have been waiting excitedly forHouse of the Dragon’s premiere over the weekend, several countries in Europe are arguably even more excited.
After three years,House of the Dragonis finally here, and several regions in Europe are bracing for what they hope is an invasion of such proportions that would make even the Night King quiver. According toDeadline, the tourism boards of Spain and Portugal, as well as two regions in England—Cornwall and Peak District—are watching the premiere of the newGame of Thronesprequel very closely. Filming for the show took place in these locations, and locals are hoping that, as with previous fantasy properties, they bring a flood of tourists.
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Malcolm Bell, the chief executive of a Cornwall tourist organization, said to the British newspaperThe Guardianthat local landmarks including St. Michael’s Mount, Mounts Bay, and Holywell Beach all appear in the show, according to Deadline. In Derbyshire, England, tourist boards are already designing tours to the epic landscapes of Stanage and Curbar, as well as the centuries-old village of Hollinsclough and the nearby Dragon’s Back Ridge mountain range. Locals also expect tourists to flock to Monsanto, Portugal, whose stone architecture and boulder-filled streets look like something pulled straight out of a fantasy book. And in Spain, the towns of Cáceres and Trujillo in the Extremadura region, which were used for external shots of King’s Landing, and La Calahorra castle are expected to be bighits with fans of Westeros.
While these areas prepare for the hoped-for mass pilgrimage of tourists, it remains to be seen ifHouse of the Dragonwill perform anywhere near as well as its predecessor. While the showhad been the most successful television show of its time, thelackluster final season ofGame of Thronesleft almost all of its devoted fans feeling betrayed and bitter. Three years after the botched finale, however, HBO likely hopes that its fans will have forgiven the show and be ready to return to the world of Westeros.
But even ifHouse of the Dragonhas a disappointing premiere, it will almost certainly increase tourism to some degree. The iconic Peter JacksonLord of the Ringsmovies transformed New Zealand’s reputation and revolutionized the country’s tourism industry. Still today, two decades later, several of the films' sets have been preserved for tourists, and tours of the filming locations are very popular.
Likewise,Game of Thronesworked its own magicon the tourism industries of Northern Ireland, Croatia, and Iceland, where the series was filmed. Given this historical precedent, Spain, Portugal, and England are hoping to become the next fantasy land for travelers from all over the world.
