Entertainment inspires people to travel. The destinations and locations where movies and television shows are filmed have the potential to attract film tourists with smart, timely marketing. Destination marketing organizations are realizing the trend and looking to convert the international attention into travel bookings. In the following report, we will cover what motivates travelers to visit a destination featured in a movie, how to manage the long-term relationship with a TV series, how to tap into the themes made popular by recent films, and factors to consider before marketing begins.

1. The Rise of
Destination
Marketing
Through
Movies and TV
SKIFT REPORT #6
2013
Entertainment inspires people to travel.
The destinations where movies and
timely marketing.
SKIFT.COM

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3. SKIFT
Executive summary
Starring in a film has become a surefire way to boost tourism for a
destination.
Tourism in New Zealand boomed following the Lord of Rings trilogy.
The country launched a huge marketing campaign aimed at making the country synonymous with “middle-earth,” Air New Zealand
painted its livery with Hobbit-themed images, and Hobbiton became
one of the country’s most visited attractions.
“Film shoots have
the power to elevate
even completely
banal places to unique
experiences worthy of
a visit.”
VisitBritain similarly integrated tourism
marketing efforts with the Bond film Skyfall, Virginia touted itself as the site of Lincoln’s filming, and North Carolina turned
Hunger Games into an advertisement for
its outdoors.
Now destination marketing organizations
are realizing the trend and looking to convert the international attention a destination can draw from a movie
or TV series into travel bookings.
However, many questions still remain for destination marketers who
worry about a dark story plot painting a location in a negative light or
who attempt to calculate an appropriate marketing investment for a
brand new series.
Hotels, airlines, and restaurants all have the opportunity to benefit
from film tourism if given the tools and information to connect the
themes brought up in the story with their business offerings.
In the following report, we will cover what motivates travelers to visit
a destination featured in a movie, how to manage the long-term relationship with a TV series, how to turn dark story plots into positive
tourism bumps, how to tap into the themes made popular by recent
films, and factors to consider before marketing begins.
We also highlight several case studies and the lessons that destination
marketing organizations can learn from them. Finally, we outline 8
marketing initiatives and 12 key takeaways from the report.
3
REPORT
#6
2013

4. SKIFT
REPORT
#6
2013
Table of contents
Executive summary 3
About Skift
Skift is a travel intelligence company that
Trends in Destination Branding Through Film and TV 5
services to professionals
in travel and professional
Behind the trend 5
make smart decisions
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travel.
skift.com for more.
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Further reading 28
About Skift 29
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