London - A dog called Yorkie made his screen debut as star of a campaign to put the scenic English county of York on the world map.
The eight-year-old Yorkshire Terrier was chosen by the official tourism body in York for what is described as the world's first travelogue series to be hosted by a dog.
The mini-films will show Yorkie visiting some of the county's most popular tourism attractions in the hope of attracting visitors from across the world to visit Yorkshire in northern England.
Kate McMullen, head of tourism at Make It York: “We know that photos and videos of lovable animals, especially dogs are really popular on social media.
So by commissioning this travelogue series through the eyes of Yorkie, an adorable Yorkshire Terrier, we aim to give newcomers to York and York fans a fun flavour of the adventure that awaits people here in beautiful York and North Yorkshire.”
Viewers can watch Yorkie strolling along the twisting, narrow lane of one of the best preserved medieval streets in Europe, the Shambles in York city centre.
He is also given a dogs-eye view of the giant locomotives at the National Railway Museum in York, taking a scenic journey in the cosy compartments and wood panelled carriages of a steam train across the stunning North Yorkshire Moors Railway, roaming around the ruins of Whitby Abbey perched high on cliffs above the town of Whitby.
Yorkie also meets with Viking fans at the Jorvik Viking centre in York, trots around the gardens of one of Britain's finest stately homes; Castle Howard.
He even dines at the birthplace of Guy Fawkes, the notorious plotter who in 1605 attempted to blow up the British Parliament. The failed gunpowder plot continues to be celebrated across Britain every year on November 5.
Yorkie's real name is Sunny and he lives in Coventry in the Midlands region of England. The Yorkshire Terrier is a small dog originally bred from the 1860s to catch rats in the coal mines of Yorkshire.
The three-part travelogue series has been directly inspired by the hugely popular concept of “slow TV” and comprises long stretches of uninterrupted, unhurried footage captured from behind Yorkie - allowing viewers to take in the beauty of York and North Yorkshire's stunning landscapes and visitor attractions in an entirely new way.
Further episodes of the adventures of Yorkshire will be released onto social media sites in the coming weeks. Almost 7 million tourists a year visit the historic walled-city of York, earning the city more than $810-million, with tourism supporting more than 20 300 people in the area.
Xinhua