Film and tourism: the imagined place and the place of the imagined

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to consider how film can induce image, both individually and collectively. In particular, the psychological drivers of film are explored and how these may impact on tourism visitation. The impacts of film and cinema are explored, as is the relationship between tourists' motivation and purchase behaviour. Design/methodology/approach – The authors review the limited literature on the subject, seeking commonalities and resonances between film and tourism. A focus group is used to develop a perceptual map with which to better understand the phenomenon and a questionnaire was conducted to research attitudes towards film and propensity towards film‐induced behaviour. Findings – The paper suggests that there are commonalities between film and tourism and that film can evoke powerful and long‐lasting images with the viewer, thus creating marketing opportunities for destination marketing organisations (DMOs). Practical implications – With greater understanding of the nature and power of filmic image, it is hoped that tourism DMOs may develop more effective strategies for attracting visitors to destinations. Originality/value – Research in this topic is very limited and, as far as the authors are aware, there is nothing which adopts an in‐depth approach on the nature and application of film‐induced tourism.