The M&G presents a list of travel destinations that have benefitted from being featured in books or films.
Chateau Villette: The Da Vinci Code (movie and book)
The 17th-century mansion outside Paris has gained popularity since its appearance in the film version of Dan Brown’s page-turner. The villa’s owners have exploited this link and are now offering Da Vinci Code tours of Paris, using the Villete as a base. This consists of day trips to Paris and evenings spent discussing the hidden meaning of religious symbols. Yawn.
New Zealand: Lord of the Rings (movie)
The film version of JRR Tolkien’s book’s New Zealand setting led to an influx of geeky tourists in World of Warcraft t-shirts searching for the spot where Elijah Woods defeated Sauron. They were probably disappointed to find nothing more than epic landscapes and sheep. Lots of sheep.
Kho Phi Phi Island, Thailand: The Beach (movie and book)
The once pristine beach at Maya Bay has been desecrated by hordes of eurotrash and even worse, Australian backpackers, who invaded the island in search of the next-best-thing after the film version of Alex Garland’s novel was released in the 1990s. The irony is their presence ruined the beach’s main attraction: the absence of travellers.
Las Vegas: Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (movie and book)
Hunter S Thompson has a lot to answer for. While Vegas might be sleaze and debauchery central, his drug-fuelled search for the American Dream inspired a generation of weekend warriors to do the same. Now you have him to thank for all the Hawaiian shirt-wearing middle age men making complete idiots of themselves on the strip.
The Australian Outback: A Town Called Alice (book)
Neville Shute’s novel about a WWII prisoner of war who finds love in the Australian outback might tug at the heartstrings, but visitors inspired by the book might have found themselves slightly disappointed. There is a reason Britain sent her criminals there, the vast acres of nothingness.
Alaska: Into the Wild (movie and book)
Jon Krakauer’s excellent account of the life and death of wandering innocent Christopher McCandless has inspired many visitors to Alaska (there are claims that tourism increased by 100% after the movie release). There are even videos on YouTube of the bus McCandless died in.
Forks: USA. Twilight
Vampire tourism is big business in Forks, where Stephenie Meyer’s books are set. In 2008, 18 485 people passed through the Visitors Centre. After the movie, it was 16 000 people in July 2009 alone. Common question: ‘Is it safe to go camping with all the vampire problems in the area?’
Provence. A Year in Provence (book)
The pre-lapsarian idyll that is Provence in Peter Mayle’s works prompted the formation of special tours based around the books, and the concomitant number of olive oil poisonings in the district increased dramatically.
Soweto. District 9
There’s been a surge of visitors to Soweto, thanks to the success of Neil Blomkamp’s sci-fi hit movie. Unfortunately, most of them are shelling out the bucks for the Prawn sex-tourism, rather than any real desire to experience South Africa. (Okay, this one is made up.)