There has been a rise in demand for viewing Game of Thrones artifacts with the release of the prequel House of The Dragon, and there is no better place to relive the experience of unintentionally walking into your favorite show than the Game of Thrones Official Studio Tour in Northern Ireland. However, despite the renewed interest in the show’s memoirs, the sale of tickets hasn’t been enough.
Game of Thrones Studio Tour owner suffered significant losses
According to a report by BBC, after a weak start in February 2022, the company that runs the Game of Thrones studio tour underwent a substantial financial reorganization. According to Linen Mill Studios Ltd.’s financial statements, the facility has racked up “substantial operating losses” since it first opened. John Hogg Group, located in Northern Ireland, has ceded control of the company to Stephens GOT LLC, a US entity.
Low visitors despite world-class displays at the Game of Thrones Studio Tour
The directors went on to say that even though they “believe the studio tour is a top-notch tourism offering, [they] concede it will take time for the attraction to become established while the travel industry also recovers.” According to John Hogg & Co.’s group reports, the studio tour’s challenges resulted in a pre-tax loss of £3.3 million in 2017. “Initial visitor numbers at the Game of Thrones tour were low, and a decision was made to impair the asset and divest of the group’s controlling interest in Linen Mill Studios,” one of the accounts mentioned.
Game of Thrones over-tourism at other sites
While tourism at Game of Thrones’ official studio tour has been languishing, Game of Thrones-related tourism has been skyrocketing at other places. Cities in Spain and Croatia are being hogged on by tourists to the extent that locals are getting annoyed and complaining in local newspapers about their rights being violated.
