TCI Research estimates up to 40 million international tourists influenced by films
New Zealand has once more launched a massive tourism marketing campaign centred around films based on the books by J.R.R. Tolkien, with hopes that the Hobbit movies will emulate the perceived success of the Lord of the Rings trilogy in raising the profile of New Zealand's scenic attractions. But how many of us are actually influenced in our destination choice by what we view on film and television? If a press release by TCI Research is to believed, the answer is in the tens of millions.
Based on its global benchmarking survey TRAVELSAT Competitive Index, TCI Research estimates that last year around 40 million international tourists chose their destination mostly because they saw a film shot in the country.
The agency also reports that regions and cities can widely benefit from this driver for attracting first time visitors, young travellers and city breakers in particular. On average and depending on the destination and market, 1 to 10 visitors out of 100 would choose a destination mostly thanks to movies. Moreover BRIC markets tend to be especially sensitive to this channel.
Commenting the results, CEO Olivier Henry-Biabaud adds: "Supporting film shooting in a destination can offer higher ROI than traditional communication campaigns and may offer an indirect yet efficient promotional media for destinations as part of their marketing mix. DMOs have therefore all interest in tightening their relationship with the cinema industry if they wish to rival better vs international competition".
A small selection of the most recent database records on film tourism is listed below.