Harry Potter makes it magic time for tourism

HUNDREDS of Harry Potter fans from around the world will descend on the Capital this summer to celebrate the publication of the final chapter in the boy wizard's saga.

Fans will be taken on whirlwind tours across Edinburgh ahead of the publication of the seventh book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, on July 21.

The three and four-day excursions, run by American company Beyond Boundaries, will cost fans between £300 and £1500 and are part of a growing trend known as "set-jetting".

Staying at hotels including the Balmoral and the Apex International in the Grassmarket, guests will visit locations used in the Potter films and other movies such as the Da Vinci Code, take owl handling courses and attend a huge Hogwarts-themed banquet in the city centre.

A spokeswoman for the company, which has been running Harry Potter themed trips to the UK for the past four years, said hundreds of people had already signed up for the tours. She said: "We usually get a lot of interest from the US and Canada, but this year we are holding English and Spanish-speaking events so we have had a lot of inquiries from people in countries such as Argentina, Mexico and Puerto Rica. We have hundreds more who are coming on tours to Edinburgh in the weeks before the book's release date, so we're very happy with the response so far.

"We've also had a lot of inquiries from the UK, so there is definitely a big demand for these kind of tours."

Representatives from fan websites including MuggleNet, the Harry Potter Fan Zone, and HarryLatino will travel to Edinburgh to take part in a podcast, which will be filmed at a "medieval hall" on the Royal Mile expected to be The Hub.

The podcast will give fans a forum where they can discuss plot details and rumours in the days leading up to the book's publication.

Tourism chiefs expect the event to provide a major boost to visitor numbers in July, with thousands expected to flock to see the adopted home of author JK Rowling and the city where she has claimed Harry Potter was "born".

Although there has been no planned focal event for the launch - unlike two years ago when publishers Bloomsbury hired out Edinburgh Castle to celebrate the publication of Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince - scores of bookshops across the Capital are expected to cash in. Many city centre stores have already announced they will be opening at midnight to cope with the huge demand for the novel, which is expected to be the fastest-selling book in history.

Ben Carter, VisitScotland's area director for Edinburgh and the Lothians, said: "Films and books give fantastic exposure to the areas and locations where they were filmed or written and they provide a major draw for tourists.

"Set jetting is an increasing trend, which sees film fans from around the world travelling to the locations where there favourite films were made.

"With Harry Potter's huge fan base I'm sure tours to the sites made famous by the books and films will prove popular and will be a great tourism boost for Edinburgh and the rest of Scotland."

The final novel is the culmination of JK Rowling's wizard saga, which started with the publication of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone in 1997.