New Zealand is one of the most popular travel destinations: Film tourism: filming locations as travel destinations – Stuttgart

Stuttgart – According to a study, one in seven travelers are inspired to take a trip to a well-known location from films and television. Climbing rock stairs in Philadelphia. Follow in the footsteps of Winnetou in Croatia or wander through Middle Earth in New Zealand. The options are almost endless and are very popular with travelers.

One of the most popular film tourism destinations is New Zealand. The Lord of the Rings trilogy in particular ensured this. Filming sites that were the setting for Frodo Baggins’ adventure can be found all over the country. “Every second person who books with us is also planning to visit one of the famous filming locations,” says Martin Kluge, managing director of TravelEssence New Zealand.

A particular highlight is the Shire village of Hoppington, which was built during the filming of The Lord of the Rings in Matamata, south Auckland. “After the film was produced, the place was converted into an amusement park. “There are typical hobbit houses here and visitors can stand under the huge tree under which Bilbo celebrated his birthday,” says Martin Kluge.

In addition to the locations, many travelers are also interested in the history of filming locations and how they came to be. “The land that appears in films is often owned by local farmers. They have interesting stories to tell. For example, how location scouts for big film productions searched for suitable locations or how large-scale film projects went,” says Klug. Although many tourists head to famous filming locations, there are only a few trips from Germany to New Zealand that have the sole purpose of visiting the filming locations. “Maybe the distance is too great for that.”

Tunisia takes a different approach. As the location of the “Star Wars” films, the North African country is popular among movie tourists. Travel providers there have long recognized this trend and responded to it. “We offer special tours for Star Wars fans. We even encourage them to go on the trip in costume. The three best costumes will receive a prize at the end of the tour,” says Fahd Younes Daghrir, founder of the Tunisian travel agency ATR.

Tunisia has several “Star Wars” filming locations that are ideal for visiting. The country is home to the desert planet Tatooine and is therefore home to many stages in the life of Anakin Skywalker, who spent his childhood on Tatooine. “The Mos Espa slave area, the cave dwelling at Lars Homestead, and the Bud Reiss Trail in the Medes Canyons are among the landmarks,” says Degreer.

Tunisian tour operators have a strategy with the offer for film tourists: “We are looking for alternatives to classic beach holidays in order to make Tunisia more interesting as a holiday destination,” emphasizes Degrir.

Travel providers from Europe have also recognized the potential of film tourism. A popular travel destination in Europe is the island of Ireland. Scenes from the movie “Star Wars” were also filmed in the South. However, Northern Ireland is particularly popular with airline passengers. It is considered by many movie tourists to be the “Game of Thrones” area and is home to many filming locations for the famous fantasy series. “Many travelers come specifically to see the locations in the series. Northern Ireland offers many opportunities for Game of Thrones fans,” says Judith Koretke of travel agency Thoba Reisen. The Dark Hedges, East Ballymoney, a beech path that has become part of The royal road through which Arya Stark escapes in the series, and visits to famous castles and coastal areas are among the highlights of the “Game of Thrones” tours. “In the Castle Ward in County Down, you can also play the role of the series’ role model and practice archery like the Starks,” Koretki says. .

You won’t find Middle-earth, Tatooine, or Westeros on the map. Traveling to filming locations still gives fans the opportunity to travel to the location of their favorite movie or series.

12 Franklin’s Gothic Book Movies and travel have many things in common. They sell dreams, represent an escape from everyday life and have to be as special as possible. Given these similarities, it is not surprising that images from film and television are inspiring more and more people to travel to film locations. This connection is called film tourism or jetting.