As they say, “the north remembers,” and this coming weekend, the city’s northern region will play host to an event that will delight lovers of Game of Thrones.
Born and raised in Lisburn, Northern Ireland, Kristian Nairn is widely recognized for his role as Hodor in the hit television series Game of Thrones.
His latest biography, Beyond the Throne, takes readers on a trip from his challenging upbringing in 1980s Belfast to his on-the-job training for the role of Hodor.
It’s said to take readers behind the scenes of the venerable television program. Mr. Nairn talks about the friendship that grew on site and the pivotal part that catapulted him into international fame.
The cost of entry is €19.99, and each ticket comes with a copy of Beyond the Throne that the author is willing to sign.
On Saturday, October 12 at 12 p.m., Nairn will sign copies of his book at Eason O’Connell Street.
In the meantime, a recent study by tour operator software provider Bókun has identified the TV series that have influenced European travel the most throughout the years.
It has been disclosed that Dublin is now ranked second in Europe for TV tourism because of Game of Thrones. While many sequences were shot in Northern Ireland, guests can also take tours that go to and from Dublin.
One of the major travel trends influencing travelers nowadays is set-jetting. Locations like Drayton House in the UK have seen a sharp increase in search demand following the release of movies like Saltburn, which starred Summerhill actor Barry Keoghan. The film was released in December 2023.
Bókun has examined review data from Tripadvisor and Viator for every TV program tour in Europe. In order to determine the annual revenue each trip brings in for its individual areas, they were able to estimate the total number of tourists that booked each excursion.
According to the survey, Dublin is the second-most-benefited European nation from TV tourism, with an estimated €3.8 million generated from 40,800 Game of Thrones tour guests.
Dubrovnik was the only other place to defeat Dublin. By a wide margin, the Croatian city benefited the most, with 99 percent of the country’s TV tourism revenue coming from Game of Thrones-themed trips like those offered by Silverscreen trips.
Breaking out from the seeming stranglehold that Game of Thrones holds, Paris came in third place because to Emily in Paris, which saw over 20,000 visitors and generated an estimated €1.8 million in revenue for the city from trips motivated by the program.