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ABSTRACT
KEYWORDS: film tourism, destination marketing, tourism impacts
Film tourism is a growing phenomenon worldwide. However, many tourism organizations have been slow to tap the potential benefits of film tourism, perhaps due to a lack of knowledge, research, or evidence that explains the potential of film tourism. This article presents a conceptual framework for understanding the film tourism phenomenon and, then, using a case study method, reports on the tourism impacts of Captain Corelli's Mandolin on the Island of Cephalonia in Greece. The case supports previous research claiming that films can have a powerful influence on travel decisions. It also shows that film tourism is not always directly related to the success of a film or the marketing activities of Destination Marketing Organizations. Implications for destination marketers are discussed.
INTRODUCTION
The study of film tourism is relatively new in tourism research. Sometimes called movie-induced or film-induced tourism, film tourism is defined here as tourist visits to a destination or attraction as a result of the destination being featured on television, video, DVD or the cinema screen. Falling loosely under the umbrella of cultural tourism, film tourism is a growing phenomenon worldwide. The benefits of film tourism are becoming increasingly apparent. Appealing to wide and diverse markets, destination marketers can use a film as a springboard for marketing campaigns if the film is seen as an appropriate fit for the destination. Marketing opportunities are generated when the film is being premiered and distributed as well as during each release window. Additional businesses and services can be created through film tourism that in turn can encourage the extension and strengthening of the visitor season.
The increase in film tourism is Hnked to both the rise in international travel and the history of film-making. It is more specifically associated with the development of the budget US blockbuster, starting with Jaws in 1975. Whereas faws opened in the USA in 465 screens, nearly 30 years later The Lord of the Rings opened in 10,000 screens worldwide, reflecting the dramatic rise in cinema attendance over the years. A typical movie with international distribution can now reach over one hundred million consumers as it moves from box office, to video/DVD to TV. Television series have also become dramatically effective...