Does watching a movie transport you to the location and create a yearning inside of you to go to that place? Movies have inspired me to travel to the locales featured in the stories and they continue to do so to this day.
My first memory of how a movie’s locale could influence me was as a young girl on Long Island. I remember watching the 1960s “Beach Blanket Bingo” and “Gidget” movies for the first time. Yes. Ok. I’m aging myself but it’s true. These lighthearted, campy movies transported me to the sunny shores of Southern California. These movies were simple at best — boy meets girl, they fall in love and there’s lots of surfing, intertwined with a story line (sort of).
But their influence was certainly there. Watching them made me want to learn to surf and travel to California. (I achieved one dream out of two!) Being a New York girl, the West Coast seemed so different from where I grew up. Endless sunny, warm days with beautiful people hanging out on the sandy beaches of Malibu Beach.
Looked great to me! And I dreamed of one day going West. And, of course, my family’s first fly/drive road trip included sunny Southern California where a stop in Malibu Beach was in order. It didn’t disappoint. Read all about our road trip to California and the Grand Canyon by clicking here:https://followmyyellowbrickroad.com/?page_id=735
And this really got me thinking of how movies inspire people to travel. Over the last couple of decades, the impact that movies have on society’s travel choices has become even stronger. I believe so and here’s why. First of all, it’s understandable that..
Movie locations inspire us to seek out what we see on screen.
This is called “screen tourism.” Movie companies, governments and communities across the world have realized the bond that travelers feel when visiting a place they watched on screen. This bond is magical AND very profitable. “While there are many things that can contribute to the touristic success of a destination such as excellent weather or fabulous food, another important factor can be the amount of screen time a destination has received in films or on TV.”https://blog.blacklane.com/travel/hollywoods-influence-on-tourism-around-the-world/
Take the The Lord of the Rings trilogy which sparked increased tourist interest in New Zealand. I know friends who have traveled there and visited the locales and actual sets used in the films’ productions. Game of Thrones is another example. This HBO series featured locations such as Iceland, Ireland, Malta and Croatia. And all these places saw an uptick in tourists. Viewers immersed themselves not only in the story but in the locale. The location became as popular and important as the characters in the show, if not even more so.
Traveling to a “movie” destination adds more depth to the movie experience.
This so true for me as well. Period pieces like Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice, Henry the VIII, inspired me to visit England. And stepping across Abbey Road’s famous crosswalk was a magical experience. It brought back memories of the first time I saw “Let It Be” (I’m a huge Beatles fan!)
Madeline, Amelie inspired my Parisian visits. Old Westerns inspired visits to the Southwest. The list is endless.
And now there are places where one can become part of the movie and immerse themselves completely in that experience. These places are called Theme Parks!
Theme parks have capitalized on our insatiable appetite for wizards and Superheroes.
Universal Studios was really the first theme park to satisfy the public’s hunger of immersing visitors totally in these worlds. Universal’s Wizarding World of Harry Potter is the best example. One can walk down streets and become part of Harry’s world, drink butter beer, buy a magical wand and experience rides that makes one feel like they’re in the movie.
And then of course, there’s Marvel Heroes Super Island. The island is home to four attractions, including the Incredible Hulk and The Amazing Adventures of Spiderman. Marvel Super Hero Island’s architecture and theme is modeled after a Marvel comic book. There are of course rides and meet and greets with your favorite Superheroes.
And of course, Disney won’t allow itself to be left in the dust. Star Wars – Galaxy Edge immerses guests in a “galaxy far far away”. Pandora- The World of Avatar is an area in Animal Kingdom which immerses visitors in this magical land.
Sometimes, though, a movie can tug at our heart and evoke a more personal memory.
People can feel a personal connection to the movie’s locale.
Take for example…The other night, I watched the 1987 movie, “Moonstruck” starring Cher and a very young Nicolas Cage. Its premise is an unlikely love story between an older widowed woman and her fiancee’s brother, set in an Italian American Brooklyn neighborhood. The streets, the smells, the sounds, the people. They all reminded me of my childhood. It transported me back to my family celebrations in Brooklyn. I could actually relate to these characters and the environment they were in. It made me long and yearn for visiting this Borough as soon as possible.
And last but not least…
Movies provide us with a reciprocal travel relationship.
What exactly do I mean? As I discussed in much of my blog post, movies inspire us to travel to locations featured in them. But other times, our travels may bring us to a location that reminds us of a movie we saw. No pre planning here. Just a serendipitous moment where we are somewhere and can’t believe that we’re standing where a certain actor was or a scene was filmed.
