Thanks to their compelling storytelling, movies easily draw audiences into exciting journeys, often far from everyday life. Beautiful scenes evoke in audiences the desire to visit the places they have seen in the movies.
In recent years, South Korea has achieved many successes in promoting tourism thanks to TV series such as Itaewon Class, Dae Jang Geum and especially three seasons of Squid Game. These series not only attract many tourists but also help popularize the cuisine of the land of Kimchi. Previously, in the years 2001-2004, the number of international tourists visiting New Zealand increased by 50%, where the mythological series The Lord of the Rings was filmed. In the UK, from 2011-2014, the wizarding series Harry Potter contributed to more than doubling the number of foreign tourists visiting film sets 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. Only then did local authorities realize 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 their structures and reform to meet the needs of fans. Through online platforms, a movie can become successful quickly thanks to its virality 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 visitors the opportunity to visit the filming locations. And most importantly, they need to improve logistics, from opening more accommodation, to enhancing food and beverage services, to avoid disappointing tourists: the scenes are beautiful, but when you experience them, they are not attractive at all.
Ms. Chaouni also highlighted a rather surprising turn when online platforms specializing in producing popular series are now also participating in tourism by organizing movie-themed tours. Previously, these platforms were only units distributing movies and online content. “Now they sell tours, based on movie themes, 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 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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