Introduction
Film tourism and its related phenomena did not receive much attention until the early
1990s but have now sparked a wide range of interest across tourism academia. Early discussion
on this topic can be dated back to Boorstin (1961) but more detailed investigations
came from Butts (1992), Tooke and Baker (1996) and subsequently from Beeton (2001,
2004, 2005) as well as Busby and Klug (2001). While there has been evidence of its
popularity, particularly among PhD students, most research still focuses on understanding
the phenomenon, the motivation and experience of film tourists or films as tools for
destination marketing. Furthermore, much of the research methodology in these works
adopts a case-study approach, resulting in anecdotal evidence of the impacts and
success of film tourism destinations. This paper is desk-based research that seeks to
investigate the challenges surrounding film tourism by reviewing existing literature and
identifying some gaps in theoretical knowledge and practical application. Beeton has
discussed film tourism in the context of community planning (2005); however, this
paper further aims to take a more critical approach by questioning the hype surrounding
film tourism and criticising its viability with regard to tourism planning and its sustainability
with regard to tourism development. Firstly, conceptual problems regarding the