IMPACTS OF MOTION PICTURE ON A TOURISM DESTINATION

Recently image has emerged as a crucial marketing concept in the tourism industry. It

influences tourism related attitudes and behaviours variously, by confirming, reinforcing

existing, creating new, and changing them (Seaton 1989). In the field of tourism, image

research has reflected several different perspectives, by including the relationship of image to

destination choice, the image formation process the image formation process, image

modification and change, and image measurement. (Kim, H, 2003). Butler (1990) argued that

what is shown in movies, videos, and television will become even more important than print

media in shaping images of, and visitation to, places, due to expanding accessibility and high

credibility of these information sources. Similarly, Schofield (1996) suggested that

contemporary tourists’ images of a place are shaped through the vicarious consumption of

film and television without the perceived bias of promotional material. Motion pictures are an

important element of popular culture that helps impact on many people in a short period. Few

people would deny that movie-going is a major leisure activity throughout the world.

According to Brown and Singhal (1993), the impact of popular films and television programs

on individual and societal beliefs and behaviours will continue to increase as cable television

and video use diffuse rapidly. Films are a passive involvement entertainment form, rarely

employed as a promotional device primarily to enhance the awareness, appeal, and

profitability of tourist destinations. They have the advantage of longer exposure periods than

traditional travel promotion efforts, which allows the viewer a longer period of “vicarious

interaction” with the attraction (Riley, 1992). Butler suggests that as people read less, what is

shown in movies, videos and television will become even more important. Therefore, it is

important to inform the audience about the relationships between actual visitation and

images, its influence of new coverage and its cultural events and also how marketing

communication helps shape destination image.

 The power of motion picture such as television program or movie is a powerful force

in marketing a tourism destination. Film-induced tourism is defined as “tourist visits to a

destination or attraction as a result of the destination being featured on television, video or the

cinema screen” (Evans, 1997; D-35). The effects of film on tourist flow in tourism literature

have been discussed with issues of economic impacts, intangible benefits, and negative

impacts, and symbolic meaning and value (e.g., Beeton, 2001a, 2005; Busby & Klug, 2001;

Connell, 2005a, b; Couldry, 1998; Frost, 2006; Kim & Richardson, 2003; Riley et al., 1998;

Riley & Van Doren, 1992; Schofield, 1996; Tooke & Baker, 1996) It also helps create

attractive destination image and draw tourists attention to the destination by shaping

destination image: marketing communications (Kim and Richardson, 2003), product planning

for television- induced tourism (Ritchie, 1984) and visitor management in role for de-

marketing. (Howie 2003).

A TV programme or a motion picture has a significant effect in helping inspire people

to visit the location for years afterwards. It may help generate and sustain interest in a

destination in a way which destination marketers cannot afford to do. The exposure a film

gives a city, province or country is an advertisement viewed by 72 million people, the

average worldwide screen audience for a movie. (Avis, T, 1993). Other than that, Ritchie

discusses “hallmark events” as one approach to generating increased destination appeal. He

defines “hallmark events” as major one-time or recurring events of limited duration,

developed primarily to enhance the awareness, appeal and profitability of a tourism

destination in the short and/or long term. Such events rely for their success on uniqueness,

status, or timely significance to create interest and attract attention. We can see the effect of

it, through the study that investigate the effects of the Korean television (TV) drama series
titled, Winter Sonata, on the potential or actual Japanese tourist flow to Korea. (Samuel

Seongseop Kima and others, 2007). It was found that TV series-induced tourism is a type of

new cultural tourism that has great potential to advance cultural exchange and understanding.

Contemporary Japanese people, who are tired of the mechanical, materialism, and inhumane

factors of much of their TV programming, are likely to seek the humanistic interest, nostalgic

affection, and vicarious satisfaction through TV dramas. Thus the viewers’ desire to visit a

location can be naturally linked to tourism as well as to visit the featured destination in order

to reminisce about pure love and to retrace nostalgia which they viewed on the TV drama.

Furthermore, news coverage can provide substantial information about a place in a

short period of time. As film and television viewing continues to expand, so too will their

influence on place images. Although those developed through these media may be artificial,

they influence tourism marketers and consumers to a great extent. (Butler, 1990). That is, the

popular view of a place offered by media may prompt that place to recreate its own identity

in this image. Hall (1997) refers to such dynamics as part of the “the circuit of culture”. In the

circuit of culture, language, including the visual language of television, films, and other mass

media, provides representations that produce meanings. These meanings regulate social

practices often influence people’s conduct, and consequently have real practical effects. In

particular, movies, as visual language, have been one of the major vehicles to construct and

transmit meaning, often of places with which people do not have firsthand experience.

Movies also contribute in familiarize audiences with places and attractions featured in them.

Riley and Van Doren contended that “Extended exposure to attractions through the medium

of film allows potential tourists to gather information and vicarious knowledge, therefore

lowering the anxiety levels caused by anticipated risk” (1992:269). Thus, it is proposed that

observing a movie can increase the degree of familiarity with the places it portrays. As much

of the destination image literature reveals, actual visitation to a place often causes people to
changes their images of it. After they have visited a place, they tend to gain more complex

cognitive knowledge about it. Most researchers seem to presume that people can experience a

destination only through actual visitation, which leads to forming more realistic images of it.

However, much cinematic literature implicitly suggests that people can experience a place

vicariously by identifying with the characters (Metz 1982)

Marketing communication plays a significant role in specific places in movies to

serve as destination attractions. It helps develop or maintain destination image in the line with

targeted visitor group. (Lumsdon, 1997), Destination images tend to be more affected by no

promotional communications than by the efforts of tourism agencies. Marketing

communication also help manage the effect of film and television-induced tourism by

cooperating with the film or movie maker. (Ritchie, 1984). By help shaping appropriate

perceptions and keep view in activities and opportunities provided by a day trip or longer

stay, it actually help promote and balance the wider community and the environmental

responsibilities within the destination. (Joanne Connell, 2004, Howie, 2003)

Motion picture is important tools in promoting a tourism destination. It helps enhance

the visitor to experience the destination before reaching it by providing them the hyper-reality

they seeking. Motion picture offers potential fantastic marketing opportunities to a

destination. With successful tourism growth management strategies, it tends to reflect local

and community goals. Relationships of film and other forms of popular culture, should

collaborate to influence of popular culture in an increasingly global society is expanding

exposure to, and interest in, destinations. Cooperation between the local government, local

residents and product owner is needed to enhance a successful motion picture in promoting a

destination.
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