POPULAR historic fantasy TV series Game of Thrones could bring a cash injection of up to 98 million euros and create 4,000 temporary jobs in Andalucía.
These figures are based upon Northern Ireland when the region was used as a shooting location for part of what is said to be the most-watched TV series on record, says Carlos Rosado of the Andalucía Film Commission.
And ever since episodes of Game of Thrones were filmed in Dubrovnik, Croatia, tourist accommodation bookings have shot up by 29 per cent.
Visitors can also explore the areas used in scenes on an exclusive three-hour guided tour costing 57 euros where they can see the real-life neighbourhood in Dubrovnik's historic quarter – a UNESCO heritage site – which becomes the fictitious city of King's Landing in the series, as well as Lovrijenac Fortress where the bloodshed and battles took place.
Tourism in Croatia has rocketed since the former Yugoslav nation was used to film parts of the first four seasons of Game of Thrones, and has risen to a lesser extent in Malta, Scotland and Iceland as well as the Moroccan cities of Mdina and Essaouira, which have also been used for various scenes.
Now, southern Spain is set to be used for scenes in the fifth season and, although dates have not been confirmed, the Andalucía Film Commission has been working closely with production company HBO since the beginning of the year.
Representatives from HBO have visited Moorish palaces, castles, bull-rings, mansions, farmhouses, and examined city walls and even quarries in the provinces of Sevilla, Córdoba and Málaga, as well as making contact with companies in all three, especially on the Costa del Sol.
Inland Andalucía is said to be 'the perfect reflection' of the arid land of Dorne, the hottest and southermost region of the austral continent of Essos, and the architecture is very much in keeping with the periods in history the series is based upon.
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