One of the most popular destinations for tourists to visit Northern Ireland is
the Dark Hedges, due to its appearance on the popular show ‘Game of
Thrones ’the Dark Hedges attracts hundreds of tourists a day with figures
rising by 6% since last year. Although this is insane for the economy with the
Dark Hedges hotel’s business doing better than ever, the negative effects
are just as insane such as the environment becoming polluted in that area
due to the vast number of cars and buses in the area, as well as the road
being blocked up with cars and buses which makes it difficult for locals and
tourists accessing the area. ‘It was previously possible to also park at the
south end of Bregagh Road in a small lay-by; however, in 2017 efforts to
protect the trees were put in place and this section of Bregagh Road is now
closed to vehicular traffic (with the exception of local landowners,
emergency vehicles, and the like). So, visitors are no longer allowed to drive
through the Dark Hedges or park at the south end of the road as they was in
the past.’ Traffic problems have also arisen due to the number of tourists in
the area, causing blockage on the roads as well as the pollution damaging
the trees, therefore they have blocked the usage of the road for the public
drivers but it is still available for emergency vehicle use.
With the popularity of Northern Ireland becoming a desired spot for filming,
many filming companies have developed over the past decade which only
boosts the economy and job opportunities for Northern Ireland, one of the
most renowned filming studios is the ‘Titanic Studios’ which is situated near
Belfast’s Titanic Quarter. They claim to be one of Europe’s largest movie
studios as they attract worldwide production studios such as HBO which
host ‘Game of Thrones’ which the show it’s self has had such an impact
towards Northern Ireland in helping it to develop their CMI and economy,
especially with the Dark Hedges and even Ballintoy Harbor attracting avid
fans and tourists. Titanic Studios offer many job opportunities for those
entering the creative media industry and for those who want to develop their
base line skills further. With a location like Belfast, business only booms as
Belfast has been voted to be the busiest place in Northern Ireland; given it is
the main city besides Derry/Londonderry. Thanks to the Titanic Studios,
Belfast has been able to grow within the CMI by sprouting more jobs and
influencing others to create their own business, i.e. film studio.
Film in Northern Ireland 