London, August 27 (ANI): Blockbuster films and successful television programmes shot in various parts of Britain have provided a huge boost for the country's tourism industry, a new report reveals.

Movies such as Harry Potter, The Da Vinci Code, Gosford Park and Pride and Prejudice, and TV programmes like Balamory and Monarch of the Glen have caused a remarkable growth in tourist numbers at the locations where they were filmed.

The UK Film Council report reveals that locations expected to attract the highest number of visitors are stately homes, historic and religious buildings and rural or village landscapes, reports Timesonline.

For instance Alnwick Castle in Northumberland, the location for Hogwarts, saw a 120 percent rise in visitor numbers following the release of Harry Potter. The series of films about the boy wizard are estimated to have brought 9 million pounds in tourist revenue to the area.

This development has been emulated in other locations, which became famous after being used by the film and television industries.

Burghley House, in Lincolnshire, saw a 20 percent shoot in the number of visitors it received after it featured in the film Pride and Prejudice, while coach tours at Basildon Park, in Berkshire went up by 76 percent.

The figures are published in How Film and Television Programmes Promote Tourism in the UK, which notes that, though the trend of "screen tourism" has long been recognized, the evidence has been largely sketchy until now.

"The effect of films and television can be far-reaching. They help to project an updated image of the UK overseas while historical films and programmes reinforce a brand for the UK as a country steeped in history," the report concluded. (ANI)