Thanks to their compelling storytelling, movies easily take audiences on exciting journeys, often far from everyday life. Beautiful scenes evoke in the audience the desire to visit the places they have seen in the movies.
In recent years, Korea has reaped many successes in promoting tourism thanks to TV series such as Itaewon Class, Dae Jang Geum and especially the three seasons of Squid Game. These films not only attract many tourists but also help popularize the cuisine of the Kimchi country. Previously, in the years 2001-2004, the number of international tourists visiting New Zealand increased by 50%, where the mythical series The Lord of the Rings was filmed. In the UK, from 2011-2014, the Harry Potter series contributed to more than doubling the number of foreign tourists visiting film studios in the UK...
RFI quoted Ms. Nawel Chaouni, lecturer in communication and information at the University of Clermont Auvergne (France), saying that it took a long time for countries to realize the potential of movies to promote tourism . This phenomenon became clear after the series Game of Thrones or The Lord of the Rings. Local authorities then realized that the fever movies could create among fans, thereby attracting more tourists to destinations.
However, according to Ms. Chaouni, not all places are successful in promoting tourism through movies. Accordingly, many countries or regions do not have a long-term vision, so they easily fall into a passive position and cannot meet the needs of tourists in a timely manner. “Experts working in the tourism industry need to react quickly. They need to know how to adapt to new situations, adjust the structure as well as reform to meet the needs of fans. Through online platforms, a movie can quickly become successful thanks to the level of spread on social networks; creating a global fever in just a few weeks, even a few days,” Ms. Chaouni said.
The lecturer from the University of Clermont Auvergne suggests that city councils should organize guided tours and set up signs to give tourists the opportunity to visit the filming locations. And most importantly, it is necessary to improve logistics, from opening more accommodation, to enhancing food and transport services to avoid tourists being disappointed: the scene is beautiful to watch, but when you experience it, it is not attractive at all.
Ms. Chaouni also emphasized a rather surprising turn when online platforms specializing in producing popular series, now also participate in tourism exploitation by organizing movie-themed tours. Previously, these platforms were only units distributing movies and online content. “Now, they sell movie-themed tours to help viewers experience moments just like in the movies,” Ms. Chaouni said.
Promoting tourism through film is like a “gold mine” that many countries want to exploit. However, according to Ms. Chaouni, the relationship between the tourism and film industries is still just a random handshake. On this point, Ms. Chaouni believes that there needs to be initiative and a long-term strategy, a systematic source of investment funding to create more efficiency, and manage tourist flows to avoid overload.
Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/phim-anh-thuc-day-du-lich-tang-truong-post808777.html
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