Since opening its doors in 2022, the Game of Thrones Studio Tour has been drawing crowds to a once-quiet corner of Northern Ireland.
Head of sales and marketing Leann Duffy explains how.
Game of Thrones Studio Tour’s story
Keeping the cult show alive for fans flocking to Northern Ireland.
The Game of Thrones Studio Tour opened its doors in 2022, inviting fans of the cult show and other curious visitors into the fantasy world of Westeros at the Banbridge studios where much of the show was filmed. The sleepy town in Northern Ireland quickly became a must-visit destination. The tour is a behind-the-scenes look at the original sets, costumes, and props, and an unrivaled opportunity for fans and visitors to the island of Ireland to feel closer to the iconic series.
Its rapid success has seen tickets for the tour grow more than 300 percent year-on-year at GetYourGuide, partly thanks to new products being introduced, like a GoT-themed Seven Kingdoms afternoon tea. It’s all part of a plan to bring the visitor numbers up to capacity in under five years, and it’s working. “In tourism now, visitors are looking for a unique experience, and we can really provide that here. It’s about creating something that will make us stand out and be memorable,” head of sales and marketing Leann Duffy says of the attraction.
From the outset, the Game of Thrones Studio Tour has leveraged online travel agencies (OTAs) like GetYourGuide to boost ticket sales and expand its reach; Leann credits much of its success to the strong partnerships they’ve built. “GetYourGuide has been fantastic, offering valuable insights and professional support,” she explains. Here, Leann shares more about their strategies, successes, and the unique challenges of promoting such a specialized attraction.
The Game of Thrones Studio Tour has just turned two, how have those first years been?
"Very positive. Last year, our numbers grew 40 percent from year one. This year, we’re looking for another 40 percent growth. We’ve built a strategic two-year plan, aiming for visitor numbers of about 300,000 a year which is where we might max out in terms of venue size and how many visitors we can accommodate. Many visitor attractions will aim for a five-year breakeven point, and we’re a little ahead of that."
You signed up with GetYourGuide right at the start, why was that?
"We signed up with a few OTAs right away. It was always part of our strategy, although we didn’t fully understand the role it would play initially. We now have a strategy for each OTA. GetYourGuide is our number one OTA supplier now and the one I am most impressed with in terms of how they interact. Our account manager has always maintained a rhythm of monthly meetings and progress. Their reporting platforms and practices are very good. It’s quite a simple approach, but focusing on the basics like good photography and content, and understanding how reviews and commission drive the algorithm, gave us a good foundation."
You’re not based in a big city, so how do you ensure visitors find you?
"We work closely with Tourism Northern Ireland and Tourism Ireland for seasonality planning. About 200 cruise ships arrive in Belfast during the season, and we plan for events that bring people here, like a big American football game in Dublin. We have a shuttle bus that brings guests to the studio from our satellite office three miles away in a retail park, part of our sustainability plan to reduce on-site traffic, but we also have tickets that include transportation from Belfast or Dublin."
What advice would you give to a new attraction hoping to have similar success?
"Break your business into sectors and profile your partners. Tailor your messaging and approach per sector, and know your target customers. Seasonal planning is crucial, as well as staying agile in your marketing strategies.”
What is your approach to the content you use to attract visitors?
"When you’re scrolling for inspiration, the first thing that’s going to catch is the imagery, so it has to be good quality and relevant. We have the actual Iron Throne from the series here and that’s our anchor image — it’s instantly recognizable. We do provide a variety of images to show the tour’s interactive nature, but we keep certain surprises under wraps, like the start of the tour where no photos or videos are allowed. But the sheer scale of the place and the fact it was the filming location for 30 percent of the whole series is impressive. Some of the sets have not moved. There’s a lot of wow moments when you’re here that a 2D photo can’t really get across."
Do you make an effort to attract non-GoT fans too?
"Game of Thrones is the largest TV show in the world, but if you have a tour bus, not everybody on it will be a fan. So we have to make it appealing to the masses and we rely on that duality of messaging. As I said, the tour is interactive and impressive, so those multi-messaging points we have through social media and organically do filter through and people just want to visit when they’re here. With GetYourGuide, the customers are really diverse. We get families here. So, the tour is PG, although the show wasn’t.”
What have been the best or oddest reactions from fans?
"You’ll probably have to ask the floor staff that, but I know customers often come, shall we say, dressed for the tour, sometimes with huge swords. Of course, we have to confiscate them when they arrive and return them at the end of the tour. It’s a bit unusual, but it shows how dedicated some of our visitors are."
Key takeaways
- A 40 percent year-over-year growth in both 2023 and 2024: Game of Thrones Studio Tour increased its ticket sales through GetYourGuide by more than 300 percent.
- The attraction used a multi-messaging approach to draw in fans and non-fans alike. A diverse range of visitors, including families, take the tour daily.
- The sales and marketing teams worked with tourism boards, cruise companies, and event operators to promote the Game of Thrones Studio Tour to seasonal visitors to Dublin and Belfast.
- The Game of Thrones Studio Tour expanded its product offer to entice more visitors. A themed afternoon tea and transfers from Dublin and Belfast can be bought with tour tickets on GetYourGuide.
- The tour implements a strategic approach to content, using key visual elements from the tour in promotional material yet still surprising and delighting guests when they visit.
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