Whether it's navigating the labyrinthine halls of Hogwarts or wandering across the Agrabah desertscape, fictitious locales are a source of travel inspiration for many. The extensive list of made-up places, in books, movies and more, has prompted a survey to find out which are most popular.
Gotham City emerged on top, according to the study by hotel chain Premier Inn. The fictional city is best known as the home of superhero Batman from the DC Comics universe.
Traditionally depicted as being in New Jersey, Gotham shares more similarities with New York City in terms of its look and feel. It is characterised by towering skyscrapers and dark alleys, where most of Batman's crime-fighting takes place.
The survey, which analysed Google searches of 60 fictional locations from books, television shows, comics, movies and video games from January to December 2023, shows 169,690 combined searches for “where is Gotham City” and “where is Gotham City set”.
Next is the fictional underwater city of Atlantis with 126,200 searches. First mentioned in Plato's works in 360BC, it is described as a mighty naval empire that ruled over many parts of the western world, but eventually sunk to the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean after a failed attempt to conquer ancient Athens.
In book and on screens, Atlantis is often described with the most advanced technology and modern architecture, perhaps among the many reasons why people want to visit it.
Third on the list is Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry from the Harry Potter series. The castle-turned-school has achieved a cult fan base in pop culture on the back of seven books and eight films, plus a newly released video game. The study shows it has 102,400 searches.
In the books and movies, Hogwarts is somewhere in Scotland, and appears as abandoned ruins to muggles (creator JK Rowling's term for non-magic folk). The seven-storey building is characterised by ancient towers and enchanting interiors. Its grounds are described as being vast, with a lake and forest on the premises.
In the stories, the castle shows itself in its full glory only if you are a wizard or a witch. This no longer has to be the case, though, as various Harry Potter theme parks have cropped up in major tourist hotspots, including Japan and the US. One is also coming soon to Abu Dhabi.
Theme parks aside, several real-life shooting locations of the movies have been a go-to for fans, including the Scottish highlands of Glencoe and Fort William.
The majestic Arabian Desert is represented in the list by Agrabah, the fictional desert kingdom in Disney's Aladdin. In the film, the city is described to be near Jordan River, but it takes inspiration from various other real-world locations, including Baghdad and other areas of the region.
The Sultan's Palace, meanwhile, is believed to be inspired by the Taj Mahal in India.
Rounding up the top five is Stars Hollow from the television show Gilmore Girls, with 67,600 searches. The fictional town is said be to located in Connecticut where protagonists Lorelai Gilmore and her daughter Rory live. Warner Bros Studio filmed many of the show's scenes in Los Angeles, and fans can even take a tour of the set. Some places in New England also inspired the fictional town.
Other locales on the list include Diagon Alley, also from Harry Potter; South Park, from the animated show of the same name; Radiator Springs from Cars; Arendelle, the Norwegian-inspired kingdom and birthplace of Anna and Elsa from Frozen; Vice City and Los Santos from the video game Grand Theft Auto; Pandora from Avatar; and Neverland from Peter Pan.
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Most sought after workplace benefits in the UAE
- Flexible work arrangements
- Pension support
- Mental well-being assistance
- Insurance coverage for optical, dental, alternative medicine, cancer screening
- Financial well-being incentives
What can you do?
Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses
Seek professional advice from a legal expert
You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor
You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline
In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support
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Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
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If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
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About Karol Nawrocki
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Where can I submit a sample?
Volunteers can now submit DNA samples at a number of centres across Abu Dhabi. The programme is open to all ages.
Collection centres in Abu Dhabi include:
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- Biogenix Labs in Masdar City
- Al Towayya in Al Ain
- NMC Royal Hospital in Khalifa City
- Bareen International Hospital
- NMC Specialty Hospital, Al Ain
- NMC Royal Medical Centre - Abu Dhabi
- NMC Royal Women’s Hospital.
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What is safeguarding?
“Safeguarding, not just in sport, but in all walks of life, is making sure that policies are put in place that make sure your child is safe; when they attend a football club, a tennis club, that there are welfare officers at clubs who are qualified to a standard to make sure your child is safe in that environment,” Derek Bell explains.
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