Over the years, film tourism has managed to transform cities and small towns that once seemed destined to remain on the margins of tourist routes, giving them a new identity and a second life. Streets, squares, cafes, and seemingly ordinary corners have become unforgettable film sets, entering the collective imagination and attracting visitors from all over the world.
A striking example is Cong, a small and picturesque Irish village that in 1952 hosted the filming of The Quiet Man, directed by John Ford and winner of two Oscars, starring John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara. Today, the life-size bronze statue of Wayne carrying his co-star in his arms is an unmissable stop for couples eager to capture a photo next to the two Hollywood legends.
Another epoch-making phenomenon is Harry Potter, which consecrated several locations across the United Kingdom. Among the most famous is London’s King’s Cross Station, where thousands of fans wait in line every day to take a picture next to the iconic trolley in the wall. Equally important is Alnwick Castle, whose exterior doubled as Hogwarts in the first films and now welcomes visitors from around the world, all dreaming of flying lessons and reliving the magical school’s atmosphere.
The United Kingdom, however, does not limit itself to revitalizing peripheral places. The case of Notting Hill proves it: since 1999, the year the romantic comedy starring Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts was released, the London neighborhood has become synonymous with the film. Tourists from all over the world wander its colorful streets in search of the famous blue door and the iconic bookshop, while nearly every local business has found a way to capitalize on the cinematic imagery.
In France, more recently, the phenomenon has taken new forms thanks to Netflix: the series Emily in Paris has transformed certain Parisian spots into cult destinations for social media tourism. This is the case with the Cafe de Flore, already famous in the 1950s as a gathering place for Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir, and La Maison Rose, once frequented by Picasso and Modigliani: today, both have found a second youth thanks to an international audience.
Across the Atlantic, the United States boasts thousands of tourist and cinematic landmarks. Think of Central Park, a true movie star and the backdrop for famous films of every genre, from Breakfast at Tiffany’s to Home Alone 2. Then there are the Joker stairs in New York, the Katz’s Delicatessen immortalized in the unforgettable scene from When Harry Met Sally, and of course the role of Breakfast at Tiffany’s in transforming Tiffany and Co. from an American luxury brand into a global icon.
Not only films, but also TV series have redefined tourist geography. The town of Covington, Georgia, was renamed Hollywood of the South after the worldwide success of The Vampire Diaries: today it thrives on guided tours, themed shops, and fans eager to experience the vampire atmosphere of the show. The same is true for Gilmore Girls: thanks to the series, the fictional town of Stars Hollow became a tourist phenomenon. Fans flock to the Warner Bros. sets in Burbank to take photos in front of Luke’s Diner and the town square, while several New England towns promote themselves as the real Stars Hollow, turning TV fiction into a real-life attraction.
A unique case is New Zealand, which became an international destination thanks to the landscapes transformed into Middle-earth by Peter Jackson in The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. Here, tourists can even visit and stay in the hobbit houses recreated for the set, enjoying an immersive experience in that fantasy universe.
In Italy, the bond between audiovisual productions and tourism has always been strong, thanks to the variety of landscapes and rich cultural heritage. The undisputed queen is Rome, an open-air set that has immortalized countless views and traditions. The fusion of the Eternal City’s millennia-old identity with cinematic imagination has given life to some of the most impactful productions in film history, which have not only strengthened an already significant tourist flow but also rewritten the traditions of certain corners of the city, turning them into gateways to the alternate realities of the movies.
Since the 1950s, tourists, captivated by the city’s undeniable beauty, have been drawn to the romantic charm of Rome’s streets, which convey the emotions of some of cinema’s most iconic scenes. The image of Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck riding a Vespa through the city in Vacanze romane (1953) has become not only a symbol of the Italian dolce vita, but also a magnet for tourists of all generations. Thanks to William Wyler’s film, the Bocca della Verità rediscovered its identity, becoming a worldwide tourist attraction.
Likewise, the Trevi Fountain, immortalized by Federico Fellini in La Dolce Vita (1960), though already famous, continues to draw crowds of fans eager to relive the legendary scene with Anita Ekberg and Marcello Mastroianni.
In 2020, for the 40th anniversary of Un sacco bello, a commemorative plaque was unveiled in Piazza Rossellini in Ladispoli. On that day, Carlo Verdone, who plays Leo Nuvolone in the film, arrived on a vintage bus, recreating a scene from the movie. However, in the film Leo never actually reaches the Ladispoli stop: the plaque symbolically celebrates the connection between the town and the movie rather than an actual filming location.
Another example is Tre metri sopra il cielo: after the film’s release, many fans began visiting the bridge in Rome where the famous graffiti appeared, to photograph it or leave their own mark. Over time, the trend of love padlocks spread from that very scene, turning the bridge into a true tourist attraction.
While Rome remains emblematic, it is far from unique: the rest of the Bel Paese also offers countless destinations for film lovers.
In Ischia, the term cineturismo was coined, destined to enter industry vocabulary, highlighting the island’s close relationship with cinema. In 2004, the first Italian movie tour was launched here, soon followed by other itineraries that celebrated places etched into the collective imagination. The island’s magical landscapes have hosted numerous prestigious productions, including Cleopatra (1963), The Talented Mr Ripley (1999), A casa tutti bene (2018), and L’amica geniale (2018).
Another Italian example is Call Me By Your Name (2017) by Luca Guadagnino, which shone a spotlight on Crema, a quiet Lombard town previously off the tourist map, transforming it into a sought-after global destination. The squares, streets, and arcades that framed Elio and Oliver’s love story attract thousands of visitors every year. The local administration has capitalized on this phenomenon with guided tours and cultural initiatives, making the town a prime example of how cinema can revive the image and economy of an Italian historic center. Beyond Crema’s Piazza del Duomo, other must-see spots for fans include the Fontanile Quarantina in Pandino, where visitors can relive the famous scene of the book in the water, or the Grotte di Catullo in Sirmione, on Lake Garda, where the film’s suspended magic comes alive.
The Italian film-tourism landscape is dotted with examples of small locations turned into international attractions: Procida and Salina, thanks to Il Postino, have entered the collective imagination; visitors flock to the islands to see the famous orange house, the postman’s house, symbol of the simple yet profound dialogues between Mario and Neruda. Thanks to Pixar’s animated film Luca, the Cinque Terre have gained fresh global attention, while the Baroque villages of Ragusa have been revitalized by Commissario Montalbano. In Punta Secca, tourists visit the celebrated seaside villa of Montalbano. Visible only from the outside, the house has become a symbol of the series and an unmissable stop for fans.
Recent TV phenomena also deserve mention: A un passo dal cielo brought the Dolomites to the small screen, where many enthusiasts go to see the famous lake Braies, without forgetting the evocative submerged bell tower of Curon, which also inspired the Netflix series Curon, another major tourist destination; Un professore made a Roman high school recognizable; and Mare Fuori helped project Naples into a new media dimension. Among its filming locations is the Marina Militare of Naples – Molo San Vincenzo: the prison of the fictional Juvenile Detention Center of Nisida is in reality the naval base of the Italian Navy located on Via Acton, near Molo Beverello.
In all these cases, cinema and television, whether through international productions or Italian fiction, demonstrate how they can rewrite the geography of tourism, breathing new life into territories and local communities.
