VisitScotland has said the country has received more than £6m worth of global publicity as a result of the tourist board’s partnership with Sony Pictures and The Da Vinci Code film.

Sony Pictures signed a deal with VisitScotland, VisitBritain, Visit London and Maison de la France in January this year to promote Edinburgh, London and Paris – the three main locations for the film – to 40 countries around the world.

A joint website, competitions and press and television advertising were all used in established tourism markets such as the US and Germany, but also in emerging markets such as China, India and Russia.

Ben Carter, VisitScotland’s area director for Edinburgh and the Lothians, said: “The Da Vinci Code was a massive opportunity for the tourism industry in Scotland. By working in partnership with a major international player like Sony Pictures, we have benefited from world wide exposure that we could not have achieved alone.”

The movie, based on the book by Dan Brown and starring Tom Hanks, used the Rosslyn Chapel in Midlothian as a location.

VisitScotland is currently conducting research to ascertain how many people were motivated to travel due to the film. Details: www.visitscotland.com