The Forest of Dean plans to make £35m from Star Wars tourism
J.J. filmed several, highly secretive, scenes in the Gloucestershire woodland.
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The Forest of Dean is hoping its use as a location in Star Wars: The Force Awakens will drive tourism to the area.
The Gloucestershire woodland was utilised by J.J. Abrams to film an undisclosed, and highly secretive, set of scenes in July of last year. It's now believed to include one of the most furiously discussed moments from the trailers; the revelation of Sith Lord Kylo Ren's crossguard lightsaber.
Indeed, Abrams then confirmed his use of the location in a letter to the cast and crew, in which he praised the film's global locations, "from the deserts of Abu Dhabi, to the Forest of Dean, to the stages of Pinewood."
The forest has recently become a popular area for filming both film and television at large, becoming recognisable for its inclusion in the Harry Potter films and Doctor Who. In response, the local tourism board has set up a 'star track' hike for the area which covers its most famous uses as a location; this will be the start of a major push to attract so-called 'screen tourists' to the area, with hopes to boost visitor revenue to around £35 million over three years.
Maureen McAllister, executive director of Wye Valley and Forest of Dean Tourism, stated, "Filmmakers have been flocking to the area for years because of our stunning natural scenery - we've hosted wizards, time lords, Jedis and giant slayers and now we expect to host legions of their fans.
The Film and TV Trail is a key part of how we tell the rich story of the area and attract visitors from across the globe. The director J. J. Abrams heaped praise on the Forest of Dean in his letter to the cast and crew and we're sure that visitors will share his enthusiasm."
If it all sounds a little ludicrous, consider this: the annual influx of tourists to New Zealand soared from 1.7 million in 2000 to 2.4 million in 2006; a 40% surge which was largely attributed to the release of the Lord of the Rings movies.
Star Wars: The Force Awakens is in theatres now.
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