Locations including London, Gloucester and Oxford are among the destinations highlighted on the latest of a series of maps published by the British Tourist Authority (BTA).

"By the end of November or beginning of December there is unlikely to be a country in the world that hasn't heard of Harry Potter

Elliott Frisby, BTA press officer

With Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone breaking US box office records in its opening weekend, British tourism chiefs hope overseas visitors will want to see more of the film locations.

Seren Welch, campaign manager for the BTA, said: "The sheer Britishness of the film and variety of locations it covers is a fantastic opportunity to promote Britain overseas.

"Just as the movie is a tale of discovery, we hope that people will want to come to Britain to discover its magic".

London's Kings Cross Station is one of eight locations included on the map.

Quidditch match

It is the setting for the beginning of Harry Potter's journey to Hogwarts School from Platform 9 and 3/4.

Eight locations feature on the Harry Potter movie map

Later, the cloisters of Gloucester Cathedral and Christchurch College, Oxford, provide some of the impressive backdrops for the school.

And Alnwick Castle, in Northumberland, the second largest inhabited castle in England, was the location for the Quidditch match featured in the film.

The map, which is being published in six languages, also features other tourist destinations that link into the magical and mythical themes of J.K. Rowling's books and the Warner Brothers film.

In the UK the map is available from the BTA's website.

Tourism downturn

Elliott Frisby, BTA spokesman, told BBC News Online it was hoped the map would help attract US tourists, 4m of whom visit the UK each year.

"This market has suffered from foot-and-mouth and particularly 11 September.

"Worldwide there has been a downturn in travel".

But he said the Harry Potter film marked a fantastic opportunity to promote the merits of visiting Britain to an overseas audience.

"By the end of November or beginning of December there is unlikely to be a country in the world that hasn't heard of Harry Potter".