Film tourism planning has not received much attention, and while film tourism has been
treated as the new market opportunity for many (new or existing) destinations, not many
have questioned the sustainability of this type of tourism. Does film tourism deserve its
own planning agenda? Having identified that films as part of the media are an extension
of our individual (and tourists’) worldview but does not create a new one, maybe film
tourism should not be considered in its own right. Film could be taken as a trigger for
the type of tourism that it stands for. If Braveheart put Scotland’s highlands and Lord
of the Rings put New Zealand’s natural scenery on the map, did it just encourage the
nature tourist? Slumdog Millionaire attracts slum tourism—if people go to see a social
drama (albeit fictional), then their interest in this type of movie is extended through
their tourist consumption and behaviour. The primary role that film plays in tourism motivation
has been discussed widely, but yet there is no holistic understanding of film tourism.