Exploring the role of film in promoting domestic tourism: A case study of AL Fayoum, Egypt

Abstract

This study aims at investigating the effects of film on the perceived image of the domestic destination portrayed in the film, and it offers insight to understand the recently emerging field of film-induced tourism. Films have the potential to offer fantastic marketing opportunities as they act as virtual holiday brochures. A strong film industry also helps in successful film tourism, whether on the domestic or the regional scale. The literature review revealed that little is known about the effect of film on domestic tourism. Furthermore, there is a shortage of research into eastern settings where the film is not in English; there is also a deficiency of studies on the issue of film-induced tourism in the Middle East region. The current study aims at filling this gap and contributes to the existing film-induced tourism literature by assessing the perception of a domestic tourist destination before and after watching a film featuring this destination. To fulfill this aim, a questionnaire containing 19 image attributes drawn from the literature was designed and a paired sample t-test on these attributes was applied. The study also examines the influence of the different film elements on the tendency to visit the filmed location. The findings of the study generally affirm the notion that films could positively affect audiences' perceptions of domestic destination in various ways. Practical implications and succeeding research directions are highlighted. © The Author(s) 2011.