Harry Potter, the magic potion for tourism in the United Kingdom

Fans of the saga come from all corners of the planet to Scotland and the United Kingdom, generating billions of pounds in revenue, a profit that continues to grow almost 30 years after the publication of the first volumes of the writer JK Rowling.

“Here you will find the tomb of Voldemort”, the ‘bad guy’ of the series, continues the guide, in front of his group of tourists of all ages.

The group passes through Greyfriars Cemetery, where the graves bear names similar to those of several characters created by JK Rowling, although the author never confirmed that she was inspired by them.

Kate Merson, 43, is part of the visit, with her husband and two children. She came to Edinburgh for professional reasons, but, like many Americans, she takes the opportunity to explore her Scottish roots and indulge her nine-year-old daughter’s “Pottermania.”

With a fee of 20 pounds ($25.5) per person, and several dozen participants each time, these hour-and-a-half guided tours through the Gothic streets of the Scottish capital are worth a lot of money.

“Increasingly popular”

The Potter trail, guided by Sam Thorne, ends on the multicolored and much-photographed Victoria Street, in front of two souvenir shops.

Briya Maru, a 27-year-old Indian who lives in the Canadian city of Toronto, queues in the rain in front of one of them, along with fifteen other fans, willing to spend whatever it takes.

Although she admits that in Toronto she can find all kinds of derivative products, she points out that for her “it was symbolic to buy them here, in the city of Harry Potter,” where JK Rowling wrote the saga that made her a billionaire.

In one of the shops, called ‘Enchanted Galaxy’, a plastic “magic” wand costs £40 ($51) and a limited edition sculpture of a character from the films costs £650 ($831).

“The trade is going well, Harry Potter is increasingly popular,” says the head of the trade, Mónica Alsina, who refuses to reveal the business’ turnover.

Although there have been no new Harry Potter films or books, in recent years the validity of the fictional series has been maintained with a video game, which has been a success, a play in London, and the film “Fantastic Beasts and where to find them”, a story related to the saga, while waiting for a television series, which is in preparation.