France Sees Rise in TV Tourism

Films and TV shows are having a rising influence over tourists’ decisions to visit France. That’s according to a survey released Thursday by France’s National Center for Cinema and Animated Image.

About 80% of foreign tourists said they wanted to visit France after watching a TV or movie filmed in the country. That’s up from 74% in the CNC’s last study in 2018. 

The national cinema agency surveyed tourists to assess the extent to which exposure to media set in France influences their travel decisions. 

A majority of the survey’s 500 foreign tourist respondents had stayed in France for at least a week. The respondents spent more than €1,700 (about $1,850) on average on their trips. Nationalities included American, Chinese, British, Spanish, German and Belgian.

Emily in Paris and Lupin Inspire Tourism to France

One in 10 foreign tourists traveled to France after watching a particular film or series. Lupin was the biggest mover at 50%, followed by Emily in Paris at 44%.

About 56% of Lupin’s super fans were men. Over 61% of Emily in Paris’ super fans were women and 59% were between the ages of 18 and 34.

Some tour operators have capitalized on the popularity of some TV shows set in France. In September, travel startup Dharma launched tours based on Emily in Paris.

Destinations Use the Power of Film to Drive Tourism

France isn’t the only destination that’s benefited from popular TV shows. Sicily experienced a tourism boom after being the filming location of White Lotus’ second season.

In Iceland, Kensington Tours has considered adding Game of Thrones detours due to client interest. “We’re thinking of even creating detours with Game of Thrones names and other movies,” said Kelly Torrens, vice president of product, in May.

To disperse tourists beyond London, VisitBritain is launching a marketing campaign centered on its filming and TV shows locations, said CEO Patricia Yates at the Skift Global Forum in September.

“We’ve used Harry Potter, the James Bond experience, so we’ve got good links with studios in the past, but really ramping that up and telling the story of Britain through film and TV,” said Yates. “We still have such a rich bed of stories to come.”

About a third of potential tourists are interested in visiting a location seen on screen, according to research by Visit Britain.