As excitement surrounding filming of the Star Wars Episode VII mounts, LateRooms.com reports that hoteliers in Abu Dhabi, where filming is taking place, have seen a rise in bookings from fans eager to get a slice of the space action. Following leaked internet pictures of sets in the Middle Eastern desert, there was a year-on-year rise of 19% in hotel bookings on the site.

Die-hard fans eager to find out all they can about the next instalment of the epic space franchise are snapping up the hotel rooms as filming continues over the coming weeks. It seems that Abu Dhabi will double up as the fictional desert planet of Tatooine, and the rumour mill suspects that the sands will play host to Jabba’s Palace, in new hands after the death of Jabba in Return of the Jedi

“As one of the biggest film franchises it’s not surprising that Star Wars fans are eager to sneak a glimpse of any filming action they can,” says Lynda Matthews, Head of Marketing at LateRooms.com. “We would not be surprised to see the bookings continue to rise as fans flock to the desert to combine a short break with a glimpse of Hollywood action!”