‘Set-jetting’ is one of the latest trends in travel! From the glossy and luxurious to the downright awe-inspiring, travellers just can’t get enough of seeing their favourite on-screen locations in real life, made all the more appealing by captivating storylines or juicy drama.
Film tourism, as a form of cultural tourism inspired by what travellers see on screen, is the impact of film culture on not only where and how people travel, but also the experiences they expect and their way of interacting with the destination once they’ve arrived.
So, what are the benefits of film tourism for travel agents and where are some of the best destinations to consider for this fast-growing audience?
Film culture itself is undeniably impactful on today’s generations, with a proven influence over how people think, their social cognition, behaviour, and even their values. Not only this, but film inspired culture itself is by no means limited just to entertainment culture, and film-induced products are certainly not limited to ‘just’ consumer goods.
As a fast-growing and important tourism trend, film induced tourism creates avenues for connection between people, characters, places, narratives, and ultimately, tourists!
Film and culture tourism work so well because at their heart, they are chances for experience, to witness and be immersed in or relive something, through entertainment. This is why it’s so popular as a tourism trend!
Cultural tourism is one of the key drivers of economic growth and amongst the key products of cultural tourism that promote destinations, alongside local cuisine, souvenirs, film and television is one of the most influential products in today’s digital era.
The impact of films, series and streaming platforms on what today’s consumers - and therefore today’s travellers - are exposed to and influenced by is massive! This means, that the overall impact of combining destination marketing and film branding can be enormous.
But what does this mean for travel agents?
Films and tv productions can be a powerful way to elevate a destination’s profile, its tourism offerings both for domestic and international travellers, and can even help showcase a country’s natural assets.
For host destinations, culture tourism can help grow local economies, and for travel agentss, utilising film tourism can be a hugely impactful way of informing, inspiring and influencing where travellers go.
For example, one of the prime examples of the power of film, is that of the Lord of the Rings trilogy; even though the blockbuster films were released all the way back in 2001, it’s suggested that around 72% of current and potential international tourists visiting New Zealand have seen at least one of the films in this trilogy. While, naturally, it’s impossible to say whether this was the sole factor in these travellers’ destination choices - it’s a significant motivator to consider. Similarly, in the UK, the filming of worldwide successes like Harry Potter and Downton Abbey in the past decade has resulted in a surge of tourism.
Travellers interested in film tourism are often highly engaged with the location of their choosing, which also opens up opportunities for you as travel agents to curate detailed itineraries and showcase the destination of their choice in a way that other travellers might overlook.
Plus, many film tourists are dedicated. Again, going back to the Lord of the Rings example - tourism in New Zealand rose roughly 50% in the ten years after the franchise finished. This opens up the suggestion that travellers interested in the more niche aspects of screen tourism have a long-standing interest in these destinations, and are therefore a reliable audience when it comes to destination marketing and capitaliing on demand.
So with that in mind, we deep-dive into some of the most must-visit ‘TV tourism’ destinations, and why this is a beneficial trend for travel agents to take advantage of.
Of course, it’s important to bear in mind that many screen tourists want specifics, and won’t usually be satisfied with a run-of-the-mill visit to one screening location. Often, travellers visiting a location from a film or tv production want to know what was filmed where, as many know the product (in this case, the film or tv show itself) very well, and many will be keen to delve further into this interest.
Therefore, it’s important that you’re equipped with a portfolio of activities that ensure that visitors to a location are encouraged to stay longer, and spend more. In many cases, guided tours can be one of the best ways to enrich a visitors’ stay!
Luckily, our portfolio at Bedsonline offers over 16,000 activities, experiences and ancillary products, all of which are designed to maximise your clients’ experience in-destination.
Not only this, but using our Booking Engine offers travel agents:
This means that not only can you offer your customers a trip in a destination that really captivates them, but you can bolster it with unique activities and experiences that only further enhance their time there. Discover our Booking Engine today!
Need some inspiration? Here are just a few key destination recommendations to get your customers from in front of the screen, to behind it!
Don’t forget to discover our Booking Engine for over 200,000 hotels in over 170 worldwide destinations, including many of these inspiring locations from some of the best recent films, TV and streaming hits. Not only this, but over 16,000 tours and experiences that will allow your customers to dive even deeper into the amazing destinations - including global transfer coverage for even easier navigation once they arrive!
One of the most commonly filmed cities in the world, New York is a hub of on-screen destinations from movie classics to recent hits, making this city a destination that ticks the boxes for tv and film lovers all over the world. Some of the most filmed locations in New York are undoubtedly Central Park; East Village, Grand Central Terminal, the Flatiron Building, Times Square and Washington State Park!
Why not recommend a tour of some of New York’s most iconic sites, for an immersive way for your clients to get up close and personal with the Big Apple’s best-loved on-screen locations.
As one of the biggest shows of 2023, HBO’s The Last Of Us is a perfect example of how influential film can be on tourism and consumer industries. And as the largest film production to ever take place in Alberta, and one of the biggest in Canada, there is much to be said about the increase in popularity of Canada as a destination while the hype remains.
Key highlights include Calgary as the real-life location of the ‘Boston Quarantine Zone’, Fort Macleod’s Main Street, Downtown Calgary, and the Alberta town of Canmore as the on-screen survivor camp in ‘Jackson.’ The best way to visit these locations is for travellers to rent a car, to truly experience the wilderness of Alberta and Calgary’s landscapes and cities.
The stunning destinations of Budapest and Keszthely in Hungary were the principle shooting locations for one of the most popular recent fantasy series on Netflix, Shadow and Bone! Top sights like Buda Castle, The Lion’s Court, the Hungarian National Gallery and the city’s Main Square will all spark recognition from fans! Hungary was also home to other fan-favourites such as Moon Knight and The Witcher, making it the perfect destination for fantasy lovers.
Cáceres and Trujillo in Spain are heavily featured in House of the Dragon as the iconic location of ‘King's Landing’, and are easily reachable via car from Madrid! Croatia’s capital Dubrovnik was also the location of some of the best on-screen shots of ‘King’s Landing’ in both House of the Dragon and its predecessor Game of Thrones - and is also recognised as a UNESCO world heritage site. Dedicated fans can retrace the steps of much-loved characters with a private walking tour within the fortress walls of historic Dubrovnik!
Filmed in majority in Sicily, Taormina, Noto, Palermo and Cefalù, visiting on-screen locations seen in The White Lotus offers your customers the perfect chance to experience a textbook showcase of just how stunning southern Italy can be. Plus, as Taormina is a couple of hours from Sicily itself, why not offer this as a gorgeous additional destination for fans looking to relive that White Lotus magic in a beach town with roots as far back as Ancient Greece?
It’s undeniable that Netflix’s Bridgerton had millions of fans all over the world in its hold, and as one of the UK’s most-visited cities, Bath already draws its fair share of tourists looking to experience the quaint atmosphere of this historic city. Key on-screen locations include the Holburne Museum and the Royal Crescent.
But for a quintessential stay, we recommend a Bath and Stonehenge tour, for the best of the rolling green hillsides and delightful cobbled city streets that the Somerset area has to offer!
Not only is Japan the setting for many fan-favourites from the cult-classic status of Godzilla to more anime than it’s possible to list, it also recently gripped millions of watchers as the location in Alice in Borderland, another heart-stopping Netflix adaptation of a popular manga series. Plus, the National Geographic and Lonely Planet recently named Japan one of the hottest destinations to visit, so there’s no better time to get your clients to dive in!
While the tourist-hotspot of Tokyo has more than enough to entertain travellers for months, let alone days or weeks, Tokyo is also perfectly positioned as a transport hub to many of Japan’s other must-visit locations like Osaka, Hiroshima, Kyoto and Mount Fuji! This makes it the ideal place for travellers to make the most of this stunning country.
For a true glimpse into the wilderness, travellers can head to Fiordland National Park - the largest national park in New Zealand - or dig their toes into the black sand beaches of Piha for a real Middle-Earth feel. And you simply cannot recommend New Zealand without showcasing The Shire! This idyllic location in the Waikato region is so popular that travellers can take a hobbit tour and immerse themselves in the life of a Middle-Earth Shire citizen for the day!
Here’s what you can expect in our guide to trending travel in 2024:
⭐ The latest health and wellness travel preferences.
⭐ Why ‘set-jetting’ and ‘retailtainment’ are some of the top upcoming experience tourism trends.
⭐ How travel technology continues to shape the industry.
⭐ What tomorrow’s luxury traveller is looking for.
⭐ How Generation Alpha is driving the shape of modern familial travel.
and more!
