Media Technologies and Formation of a Tourist Destination Brand: Foreign and Domestic Experience

Abstract

The article summarizes the arguments within the scientific discussion on the impact of media technologies on the choice of a tourist destination. Thus, the emergence of film-induced tourism as a specific type of tourism is emphasized. The main purpose of the scientific research is to analyze a relatively new phenomenon of «film-induced tourism» and its types, as well as to determine the influence mechanisms of film and television media product on the formation of a tourist destination and its brand. Systematization of relevant literary works and approaches to the problem in question has shown that film-induced tourism is intensively developing and being actively popularized in the world. It has been widely recognized that the media product is undoubtedly increasing the number of visits to locations depicted in it, or locations associated with it, which, in its turn, forms the tourist destination brand. Moreover, the films that gained worldwide popularity after their release significantly contributed to the formation of famous tourist brands and attracted the attention of numerous tourists. The relevance of the scientific research in terms of Ukraine is evidenced by the fact that the development of film-induced tourism is not paid attention to by domestic scientists. Besides, the international experience of successful promotion of tourist destinations through media technologies is not duly implemented into domestic tourist practice. Foreign practical experience proves though that there is a firm correlation between the success of the film and television media product and the increase in tourist flows to a particular destination. The research of the problems raised in the article was carried out in logical sequence. There were considered theoretical aspects of film-induced tourism, particularly, impacts of media technologies on the development of tourist destinations, the use of mass media as a tool to form a tourist brand; there were revealed specific features of creating tourist brands, both on-location and off-location ones, as well as there was analysed the experience of Ukraine in the formation of on- and off-location tourist brands; there were provided the proposals to apply leading international practices for the promotion of film-induced tourism in Ukraine. The following groups of methods became a methodological toolkit of the research. Theoretical methods were used to perform the overview of scientific works, popular science literature and other relevant sources within the research; for the definition and systematization of the terminological apparatus of the research; for the critical study and generalization of the observed information. Analytical methods were used to diagnose the impact of media technologies on the development of certain destinations and to analyse tangible and intangible benefits of film-induced tourism obtained by tourist destinations. The research period under consideration is 2010–2018. The object of the study is a range of countries illustrating the best world practice in the development of film-induced tourism: The United States (particularly New York and Los Angeles tourist destinations), Canada, Scotland, Italy, France, New Zealand, Iceland, as well as the world best-known films that have become a vivid example of the formation and promotion of tourist destinations shown on the screen. Thus, it has been proved the undeniable influence of media technologies on the considerable increase in the number of mass tourists who were eager to visit the locations of their favourite films. The results of an empirical analysis of the correlation between the development of mass tourism and a significant increase in tourist visits to certain destinations due to media technologies are submitted in the article. The research theoretically proves and empirically confirms that there is interrelationship between the success of the media product and the development of mass tourism. Statistically it was substantiated by analyzing the number of tourists and their interest in locations used in movies, TV series and animated films. It should be noted, however, that the impact of such products is easier to observe in those countries and regions that have passed the stages of the formation of tourism industry as the leading one due to the tourism boom caused by a particular media product. In this case, the emergence of this type of tourism clearly affects the economy and the formation of the tourist image of the country. The results of the study can serve as a basis for further researches on the issue and the formation of the strategy for the development of film-induced tourism in Ukraine, where its possibilities, unfortunately, are used in fragments today.