Game of Thrones boost as filming starts

FILMING has started in Sevilla on hit US TV show Game of Thrones, and the city is expecting it to bring a lasting tourism boost.

The series is being shot on location in the Real Alcazar before moving on to Osuna, a hilltop town 80 kilometres away.

The Game of Thrones effect has alredy seen visitor numbers in Osuna rise 15 per cent since it was announced the show was going to be filmed there, and Sevilla, already a tourist magnet, is hoping a similar effect will boost the city’s tourism earnings.

As the cameras rolled at the Real Alcazar there was a moment of embarrasment for staff when one of the show’s stars, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau — who plays Jaime Lannister – was barred from entering when he could not show an admission ticket. He got round the problem by simply dipping into his pocket and buying one, making it onto the set on time.

The Real Alcazar, which dates back to the 10^th century, attracts 3,000 visitors a day. For the filming, parts of it have been screened off. Sevilla Mayor Juan Ignacio Zoido said: “We will have to endure some inconvenience, taking into account the possible generation of jobs and the impact on tourism that this will have.”

The series has attracted huge attention in Spain with 86,000 applications to be an extra being received. Of those 4,0000 were invited for auditions, with 550 selected for the 17 days of filming.