Cinema
Tourism
Lynn Carroll, Travel Agent
Cinema tourism, also known as film tourism is defined as the business of attracting visitors through the portrayal of a place or places storyline in film, video or television (Film Induced Tourism, n.d.)
Do you think cinema tourism is a good or bad thing?
"I do not think cinema tourism is a good thing. It's not a horrible thing, but there is not historical or an authentic reason for visiting the site. As long as the tourists are not harming the area, I think that they're fine being there."
How many cinema tourism spots have you visited?
"I have visited around 5 cinema sites, simply because I live in the Chicago-land area. Many famous movies have been filmed there so it's easy to come across these locations. Some of these sites include the house from Home Alone, the area where Ferris Bueller was filmed and The Dark Knight."
Does cinema tourism have a negative effect on the locals or the environment?
"I believe that this type of tourism has a negative effect on the locals and on the environment. People aren't visiting these locations for history or authenticity. They are traveling to these specific spots simply because of popular actors. It is much different than dark tourism and I believe it has a much more negative effect."
Why is cinema tourism so popular?
Cinema tourism is becoming an extremely popular type of tourism, especially with films being shot in locations that attract tourists to visit. According to Tourism Tattler, film induced tourism explores the effects that film and TV-productions have on the travel decisions made when potential tourists plan their upcoming holiday or visit to a destination. Cinema tourism is an excellent use for destination marketing and also creates opportunities for product and community development (Tourismtattler, 2013). Tourists are drawn to these locations because they are invested in these shows or movies and want to be apart of it or visit the location themselves. According to Champion Traveler, cinema tourism can increase tourism to that location by 25%-300% (Champion Traveler, 2013). Cinema tourism is a great way for producers to market this destination, all while making their movie/show more popular. If tourists are visiting these locations, they may become more invested in that film, too.
What are some of these popular locations?
There are many places around the world that are visited simply because a movie or TV show was filmed there. One of the most popular locations that has seen a rise in tourism after a movie production is Greece. The famous movie, Momma Mia, along with its sequel, was filmed on this beautiful island. According to Business Insider, thousands of people call everyday wondering how they can get to our "Momma Mia! paradise." In fact, so many people started visiting Greece soon after the production that locals are calling it the Momma Mia effect (Smith, 2008). In addition, various locations in the UK has seen a rise due to the popular movies and books, Harry Potter. They stated that all locations saw a 50% more increase in tourism when this popular story came alive (Topham, 2003). Finally, the movies "The Hangover," have been a Las Vegas PR bonanza, especially for the Caesars Palace (Lawrence, 2017). Christopher Lawrence, a review journalist, stated that people still continue to go to the palace and quote lines from the movies. The hotel workers even see people trying to escape onto the roof, just as they do in the movie. It was stated that although this movie has made a major financial impact on the hotel, workers believe it is brought more fame to the palace than what it was before the movies were created. (Lawrence, 2017). Mommia Mia, Harry Potter and The Hangover are just some of the popular movies that have brought tourists into these specific locations.
Why is it important for Recreation professionals to know?
There are many reasons why it is important for professionals in the recreation field. As Lynn, a travel agent in Illinois, stated, some people may be traveling to these locations and negativtly effect the area. This type of tourism is not as authentic as dark tourism, so toursits may not respect the land as seriously. Addionatlly, places like Greece are already expierenceing over-tourism. Too many people are traveling to this location already, now with these two major movie production, they are going to expierience this problem even more. Travel agents must be sure that people are traveling to Greece for the right reasons. Locals from this country are already unhappy with the amount of people, so they will definitly not be happy with the new "Momma Mia! effect." We, as professionals in the field, need to make sure that tourists are being respectful of the land and of the local people.