Issue date: 
Wednesday, 24 June 2015

New Zealand has topped a list of must-visit places in a study commissioned by HBO Entertainment.

New Zealand came in at number one in the study of holiday destinations made famous by film and television, largely due to its lead role in The Lord of the Rings trilogy.

According to the study of 2000 adults, one in four now choose their holiday destination based on what film set they would most like to see.

NZ tops ultimate film tourism destination list

Director of HBO Home Entertainment UK Colin Smith said: "Films and TV shows are filmed in such a variety of places nowadays; they allow us to get a glimpse of parts of the world we may have otherwise never considered as a holiday destination.

'While we might have only considered the more well-known tourist destinations before, some shows are introducing us to countries or cities away from the beaten track, and are helping to broaden our horizons when it comes to our travel plans."

New Zealand also recently placed third in USA Today's ‘Best Cinematic Location’ poll.

Check out Tourism New Zealand's fantastic video to find out why New Zealand took out the top spot, or have a look at the full list of country’s below.

Top 30 TV or Movie Destinations

1. New Zealand - Lord of the Rings

2. New York, USA - Sex and the City

3. The Causeway Coast and Glens, Antrim, Northern Ireland - Game of Thrones

4. Las Vegas, USA - The Hangover

5. West Bay, Dorset, UK - Broadchurch

6. Alnwick Castle, Northumberland - Harry Potter

7. Paris, France - Inception

8. Benidorm, Spain - Benidorm

9. Iceland - Game of Thrones

10. Malta - Game of Thrones

11. Skiathos, Greece - Mamma Mia!

12. Vatican City - Angels and Demon

13. Salzburg, Austria - The Sound of Music

14. Ripon, Yorkshire - Downton Abbey

15. Ko Phi Phi Leh, Thailand - The Beach

16. Kings Cross Station, London - Harry Potter

17. Highclere Castle, Hampshire, UK - Downton Abbey

18. Petra, Jordan - Indiana Jones

19. Notting Hill, UK - Notting Hill

20. Cardiff, UK - Doctor Who

21. Oregon, USA - The Twilight Saga

22. Marbella, Spain - The Only Way is Essex

23. Vancouver, Canada - Fifty Shades of Grey

24. The Beverly Wilshire Hotel, Beverly Hills, USA - Pretty Woman

25. Wells, Somerset, UK - Hot Fuzz

26. Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, USA - Jaws

27. Cambodia - Tomb Raider

28. Neuschwanstein Castle, Bavaria - Chitty, Chitty Bang, Bang

29. Philadelphia, USA - Rocky

30. Wexford, Ireland - Saving Private Ryan