Hollywood have sprinkled not only stardust but around £1billion into one corner of the UK.
Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney bought Wrexham football club in 2020 and have been celebrated for giving a massive boost to North Wales by delighted tourism chiefs.
Millions of people around the world have watched Deadpool star Ryan Reynolds and comedian Rob McElhenney take over the neglected club in the hit Disney show Welcome to Wrexham – which saw the pair manage to get them back into the English football league.
READ MORE: Welsh seaside town has ‘best beach in Europe’ with white sand and crystal-clear water
International visitors from the US, Canada and even Australia have travelled to Wales to join in with the fun generated by the pair in the show – with the second series starting on September 12.
Jim Jones, the chief executive of North Wales Tourism, claims the global publicity from the pair investing in the struggling club has put “the whole region on the map like never before”.
Jim said: “It’s impossible to accurately calculate the precise value of the profile created by their special brand of magic, but the Rob and Ryan factor would undoubtedly be worth more than £1bn if you had to pay for the equivalent coverage in advertising.
“We need to capitalise on the fairytale success of Wrexham football club and the fantastic job Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds are doing, not only in reviving the club and taking it back to the promised land but the global headlines they are getting in the process.
“When it comes to marketing, Rob and Ryan are absolute geniuses. It’s brilliant for the city of Wrexham but the whole of North Wales is benefiting from the golden glow of the priceless publicity generated by their brilliant documentary series.”
Actor Ryan bought struggling Wrexham AFC with co-chairman Rob for £2m – and quickly got stuck in with reversing its fortune. The team won promotion back to the English Football League and then went on a US tour.
They claim that the TV series has made them the “most popular team in America.”
Jim added: “We’re not surprised by that as Ryan is hugely popular over the pond – while football, known as soccer in the US, is less so.
He added: “They’ve raised our profile, especially in north America and we’re already seeing an influx of tourists as a result and they’re not just going to Wrexham, they’re also exploring the rest of North Wales. After a particularly tough time in tourism and hospitality, Rob and Ryan are providing a ray of sunshine.
“We’ve got people ringing us up to book tours and they want executive tickets to watch Wrexham and while they’re here they also want to do other things to make the most of their visit. Once people come here they are enchanted because we have so much to offer. We have spectacular scenery, fantastic hospitality and amazing attractions in abundance.”