CEO Deirdre Wells has commented on the announcement that Hollywood based Sunset Studios are planning a new £700m film and TV studios in Broxbourne, Hertfordshire:
“We are just thrilled to hear about these plans for a new world class film and TV studios in Hertfordshire. They will be a fantastic addition to the studios at Elstree and Leavesden and with Sky also investing in their facilities in Hertsmere – this corner of the country is shaping up to be England’s answer to Hollywood!
“In addition to the huge boost these studios will bring to the local economy - these plans also present another fantastic opportunity for ‘screen tourism.’ One in five tourists are influenced by what they have seen on screen in making their destination choice and pre-Covid this brought in an estimated £140m spending from international tourists across England outside of London.
“This is why we are currently working up plans and proposals to develop new screen based itineraries for visitors that will enable them to engage with these locations now and in the future. It will also help to drive domestic visitor footfall to local businesses decimated by the pandemic.”