Almería rebrands itself the “Land of Dragons” as production helps out the local economy

Almería, a region in Spain where portions of Game of Thrones Season 6 are currently being filmed, has begun an ad campaign proclaiming itself The Land of Dragons, as can be seen in this large advertisement on the back of a city bus, where the Drogon-ish silhouette of a dragon looms over the local landscape.

Like many countries in Europe, Spain is fighting its way out of tough economic times. And, like many countries in Europe, Spain is packed with tourist attractions, including castles and fortresses left over from the nation’s rich history. It is well documented how popular Game of Thrones shooting locations attract tourists and, more importantly, tourist dollars to far-flung areas.

Package deals and local tours, such as this one in Northern Ireland, abound because what I’ll call The GoT Boost is proving even more lucrative over time, bringing in tourist euros and pounds long after production has packed up and gone. As a result, areas like Almería are finding fun and lasting ways to identify themselves with the show, branding their tourist sites with GoT-themed advertising.

Other areas in Spain are getting in on the show’s activity within the country. For example, locals who live near the Castell de Santa Florentina, a castle used to film scenes with Sam Tarly’s family for Season 6, are printing up these “Tarly’s House” tee-shirts:

Fan de #JuegoDeTronos + Amigos en Canet de Mar = Estupendo regalo ???#GameOfThrones#GOT#JDTpic.twitter.com/Y0B0jctx14

Casa Curro, a restaurant in the town of Osuna (where the Daznak’s Pit scene from Season 5 was filmed), even built a Game of Thrones-themed tapas menu which includes dishes like The Khaleesi, a dragon-worthy salad of spinach and avocado dressed with honey and berries, and The Joffrey, a concoction of trout and bacon garnished with mulled wine. Owner Teresa Jiménez shows off the cast-signed menu below.

As can be expected, lavish Game of Thrones production budgets provide an initial and immediate economic boost to various local communities even before the cameras start rolling. Juan Manuel Lopez, the mayor of Pechina, Spain, touts new employment opportunities created in agriculture and, low and behold, on the filming sets of Game of Thrones.

"… shooting the series ‘Game of Thrones’ in the places of Pechina has generated numerous jobs in the town. At the request of the producer, the City sent him a total of seventy resumes and a number have been selected for a for work as laborers in housekeeping, maintenance, development of land for shooting, discharge of material, etc."

Pechina is a small municipality in the province of Almería with a population of only 3,307, according to the 2005 Spanish census. One can imagine the positive economic impact of the Game of Thrones production would be profound in a place as small as this.

H/T La Voz de Almería

Next: A sneak peak at the official A Game of Thrones coloring book