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1. Film tourism and ecotourism
The media have become a major vehicle of awareness and style leadership, and they have brought the wonders of the world and the excitement of various remote natural environments to millions of people (Coates, 1991). Having been exposed repeatedly to these things, the desire to see and experience them becomes more powerful (Kaufman, 1983). In this regard, films play a key role in influencing people’s perceptions of a destination prior to their arrival (O’Connor et al., 2010). Film tourism, visitation of a site or a location, that is or has been used for or is associated with filming (Buchmann et al., 2010) is a growing phenomenon worldwide, fuelled by both the growth of the entertainment industry and the increase in international travel (Hudson and Ritchie, 2006). Film tourism generates an increase in visitor numbers and subsequent rise in revenues and employment (Riley and Van Doren, 1992; Tooke and Baker, 1996; Hudson and Ritchie, 2006), broadens visitors market (Schofield, 1996), alleviates problems of seasonability (Beeton, 2004a) and draws visitors year after year (Riley et al., 1998). Popular films that have been subject to academic discussion include Lord of the Rings (Tzanelli, 2004; Beeton, 2005; Jones and Smith, 2005; Carl et al., 2007), The Beach in Thailand (Forsyth, 2002;Tzanelli, 2006; Law et al., 2007), Notting Hill in London (Busby and Klug, 2001), Ned Kelly in Australia (Beeton, 2004a, 2004b; Frost, 2006), Ballykissangel in Northern Ireland (Barton, 2000; Bolan et al., 2007) and Captain Corelli’s Mandolin in Cephalonia (Hudson and Ritchie, 2006).
Films tend to be more successful in attracting film tourists if the storyline and site are closely interrelated, the film involves the audience in the story giving them an emotional experience that they can link with the location, and if the film reflects an authentic image of the destination and captures the essence of a place, whether it is scenery or cultural content (Tooke and Baker, 1996, Grihault, 2003). In USA, the National Park system is incredibly diverse, ranging from flagship parks (Yellowstone and Yosemite) to smaller urban parks (Golden Gate, National Mall and Fire Island), and National Battlefield and Historic sites and with sprawling acres of natural beauty; its ubiquity is forever immortalized in...