What do Eat, Pray, Love, Harry Potter, Game of Thrones, and Emily in Paris have in common? These cinematic productions had multimillion-dollar budgets and profits, massive audience success, and legions of fans, indeed. And all of them were created in very specific locations that became more visited, frequented, and began to receive tourism that did not exist before these movies or series.
Today’s insight comes more in the form of questions than answers. What impact does a successful audiovisual production have on the tourism of the place where its plot is set? In Europe, where there is already constant concern about overtourism, what are the negative effects of cities’ infrastructure being overloaded? Is promoting destinations through streaming services becoming a marketing trend?
How are streaming platforms impacting the travel industry?
Promoting Tourism to Unexplored Places
One might assume that movies and series inspire their viewers to visit places that were not common destinations before, leading to an increase in the tourism economy — accommodation, airlines, entertainment, food, and commerce. A prime example is the stunning landscapes presented in “The Lord of the Rings” movies, which sparked people’s interest in visiting New Zealand.
Game of Thrones filming locations, such as Dubrovnik in Croatia — which served as King’s Landing, the main city in the series — Dark Hedges in Northern Ireland, and Grjótagjá in Iceland, saw a dramatic increase in tourism due to the interest generated by the series. Given this scenario, in 2015 Forbes published an article named: “‘Game Of Thrones’ is transforming Croatia into a “Kingdom Of Tourism” and set-jetting”. Themed tours and excursions to filming locations have become popular among fans of the show, further boosting tourism in these areas.
Business Strategy to Promote a Destination
There is a trend for cities, regions, and countries around the world to want to attract more tourists to their spaces because it makes the economy flow — the French government gathered with Netflix for its purpose recently. There are countless possible marketing strategies for this, which can involve associations, industry actors, and even government agencies. One possible tactic is financing audiovisual productions that attract viewers, with the intention that they become tourists at some point, and even better target the audience with contextually smart ads.
A classic example when the Harry Potter books became movies, which generated billions of dollars in box office revenue worldwide. Filming locations in the UK, such as King’s Cross station in London and Alnwick Castle in England, saw an increase in tourism, contributing to the local economy through spending on accommodation, food, transportation, and souvenir purchases.
Creating Experiences: Themed Entertainment, Tours, and Excursions
Fans of series and movies often want to visit locations associated with their favorite productions, which can lead to the emergence of themed tours and excursions. For example, Harry Potter fans can take tours of the filming locations in England, as well as the movie-themed sector of the Walt Disney World theme park. Creating diverse experiences, in this case, can also be creative: space recreation, immersive visits, storytelling, gastronomic moments, musical performances…
As entertainment productions often highlight the culture, cuisine, and lifestyle of different regions, this can influence travelers to seek authentic experiences related to these aspects during their trips. The movie Eat, Pray, Love explores different places in the world — Italy, India, and Bali —, which can lead tourism to increase in each place, but it can also promote a series of attractions around the world, considering traditions, gastronomy, and historical experiences.
Can we take better outcomes out of streaming successes to the travel and tourism industry?
Entertainment can play a significant role in shaping travelers’ preferences and behaviors, inspiring them to explore new destinations, participate in themed experiences, and seek a deeper understanding of the culture and locations portrayed on screens.
We see a growth in streaming services year after year, both in the offering of channels and products, as well as in the number of users. With new products — like the dozens of Emily in Paris tours, for example — new opportunities arise for the travel industry to reach new audiences and types of viewers that may not have been attracted before. It’s about seizing these hooks in your strategies.