According to Graziana Cheppa's thesis, "Life Can Imitate Art:An Appproach to Movie-Induced Tourism," media delivers strong suggestions for travel to the locations where movies are set. A well-directed movie can transport an audience member into a believable setting even though he knows on one level that the story itself is ficition. Filming on-site offers an alternative dimension to the actual storyline, and its enticement powerfully beckons a spectator to experience the location in real life.

Location, as well as the movie's plot and cast of alluring celebrities, also reinforce a viewer's desire to travel to the site of the movie for vicarious involvement in the action the movie portrayed. If properly done, a movie may motivate an emotional attachment to the relationships and plot. In fact, the "movie's content, a single event, a favourite performer, a location's physical features or a theme" all contribute to a spectator's compelling urge to visit the setting in order to re-create the romance and excitement witnessed in a movie. In taking a holiday to the site of a beloved movie, a traveler may actually unconsciously try to re-enact the performance of a favourite actor or actress. So prevalent is this phenomenon, one of every four British tourists (now dubbed Set Jetters) base their holiday selections on powerful movie allure.
After the 1953 hit Roman Holiday, starring the stellar Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck, tourism to Rome skyrocketed. Lured by the appeal of riding a motorbike through the streets of Rome, the vision of the famous Spanish Steps, and cozy outdoor cafes, tourists flocked to the Eternal City.
Likewise in the 1960's, Breakfast at Tiffany's called out to tourists to experience the romance, dreams, and sophistication of New York. Again, Audrey Hepburn and co-star Blake Edwards did their part to entice movie-goers. So popular is the NYC backdrop for movies, over 850 flicks have set their action in and around Manhattan.
Both Midnight Cowboy, starring Dustin Hoffman and Jon Voight, and Sweet Home Alabama, with Reese Witherspoon, use Tiffany's on 5th Avenue to promote fashion glamour and elite social circles.
Other NYC landmarks that inspire a first-hand experience include Rockerfeller Plaza, Radio City Music Hall, the Empire State Building, and an art deco palace, setting for both Annie Hall (Woody Allen) and The Godfather (Marlin Brando/Al Pacino).
From 1998 to 2004, HBO movie channel broadcast the comedy-series hit Sex and the City, starring Sarah Jessica Parker. With the scintilling action set in the heart of NYC, viewers witness the provocative city life of fashion, sizzling relationships, and the complexities of city living. The fact that the series won Emmy Awards, as well as a Golden Globe Award, explains how the series continues to motivate travelers to immerse themselves in the "City That Never Sleeps."
The release of
Sex and the City: The Movie, spurred guided tours through
On Location Tours: Where Ficiton Meets Reality.The three-and-a-half tour escorts visitors through the Sex and the City stomping grounds, the restaurants where the actors gather for spirits and gossip, the shops where main character Carrie Bradshaw indulges in her favourite shoe purchases, and many landmarks frequented in the movie, and a host of other New York sights.
As long as movies shoot in beautiful, romantic locations, spectators seems destined to choose holidays to re-create their imaginations. The quaint setting of Under the Tuscan Sun, with the endearing Diane Lane, may prove to be the next tourist hot spot to escape the bustle of daily chaos. Perhaps tourists will select the glitz of Las Vegas from Ocean's Eleven or even the harsh reality of India in Academy-Award winner Slumdog Millionaire.
Whatever connection clicks, movies give outstanding previews of the real world in the other-world land of make believe. Can't decide? Watching Around the World in 80 Days may just have an answer.
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