Film tourism has emerged as a major driver of tourism development for many destinations. To date, there has been substantial literature on the subject, but little of it has engaged with the wider social science paradigm of culture, film and media research. The intellectual components of film tourism as an area of academic inquiry span several academic subjects such as marketing, economics, finance, psychology, social development, sustainability, and operations. Film is a relatively obscure area of tourism research, but the wider interconnections between tourism, space and media are beginning to be explored and understood. The interest which the topic has generated highlights this subject as one that is worthy of attention within both the academic community and in a practitioner context.
The contributions in this book discuss the debates about the perceived and actual impact of film tourism and what must still be learned about this phenomenon to create the most unique and satisfying visitor experiences and protect the communities and environments that it affects. Fundamental questions are raised regarding the real demand for and draw of film as a tourism motivator, and the range of assumptions, conflicts, and contradictions that underlie them.
