GLASGOW is poised to reap the rewards of the "pink pound" tourism market as BBC drama series Lip Service returns to television screens this month.
Set and filmed in Glasgow, the show – which charts the lives and loves of 20 and 30-something lesbians – showcases a hip and funky side of the city.
It is hoped the popular series, which has drawn an average of half-a-million viewers, will help attract a fresh batch of "set-jetters", the name given to fans who visit locations where their favourite television shows and films are made.
Edinburgh-based travel firm LoveScotland, which organises holidays and civil partnership ceremonies, is about to offer Lip Service weekend packages.
The £195 break includes two nights accommodation in the Merchant City, VIP passes to popular gay club Polo Lounge and a guidebook to the coffee shops, bars and other locations featured in the series.
"We were delighted with the response when we offered breaks tied to the first series," said Ruth Cochrane, who runs LoveScotland. "Not just from the UK, but from the USA too, where people were watching the show online.
"A group of girls from America came for a two-week trip. They did the Lip Service break in Glasgow then toured Scotland.
"Glasgow can be a hard sell sometimes. It is a fantastic city but isn't always as high on the agenda as Edinburgh.
"Lip Service has made a huge difference to people's perceptions. It has made it more visible within the LGBT [lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender] community and helped highlight the gay friendliness of Scotland."
Ms Cochrane added: "I know some people might say there isn't as big a [lesbian] scene in Glasgow as Lip Service makes out or that the girls aren't as good looking as in the show, but it is television."
Among locations featured in the first series of Lip Service was Hummingbird on Bath Street where the characters Cat and Sam, played by Laura Fraser and Heather Peace, went on a date.
The bar has a returning role in the second series and manager Joe Lilley said he was delighted the show's makers had chosen the venue.
He said: "It was fantastic having Lip Service in filming again. There's such a buzz on the street when we're being used by such a big production, with all the lights and the crew running about.
"We get quite a few customers coming in asking about the show being filmed here."
Another series one regular was the Trans-Europe Cafe on Parnie Street in the Merchant City.
Owner Tony Sinclair said: "I was quite surprised by the cult status that Lip Service managed to achieve within just a few episodes.
"We've had a lot more lesbian couples coming in which is great."
Television and film prod-uction generated more than £20 million for the Glasgow economy in 2011, according to the Glasgow Film Office.
The biggest contributor was Hollywood blockbuster World War Z, starring Brad Pitt, which brought in £3.33m when on location for 17 days last summer.
Other productions shot in Glasgow during 2011 included Cloud Atlas, starring Halle Berry; Under The Skin, with Scarlett Johansson; and the television series Young James which together have brought in almost £5.5m to the city.
Scott Taylor, chief executive of Glasgow City Marketing Bureau, said: "Television shows like Lip Service and forthcoming films, such as Not Another Happy Ending and God Help The Girl, not only help to reinforce Glasgow's cultural credentials by capturing our wealth of great locations and fantastic architecture, but also convey the message that Glasgow is a vibrant, stylish and contemporary city.
"These productions are likely to encourage more visitors to Glasgow, not least those set-jetters who are keen to see the locations where their favourite television shows and films were made."
l Lip Service returns to BBC Three on April 20 at 9pm.
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