Film tourism: audiovisual production has an impact on the sector “not only in economic terms, but in terms of development opportunities”.

Michelangelo Messina is guest of the course on Economics and Business Management

Taking a picture of the Trevi fountain, with your eyes closed, you can almost hear a voice moving through the air saying ‘Marcelo, come here!’. It happens to everyone, Italians and foreigners, and it is no dream. And what better occasion for lovers of the Scottish Highlands than a trip to the Hogwarts Express in the role of Harry Potter, who has accompanied generations of children and teenagers for over twenty years. And it is only natural, wandering the streets of Sicily, Ragusa, Modica, sipping a lemonade, hoping in the crowd to catch a glimpse of the handsome figure of Italy’s most famous commissioner, not to break the cabeci Reason requests for selfies to feel invited. If desired, the list can be endless. This is because cinema is really a dream, but it is a dream that has its roots in a real place, all to be discovered. call yourself film toursIn fact, that form of tourism is experienced by people who visit film and television locations. And let us be allowed, only here!, to use the neologism which is actually a copyright and was coined by Michelangelo MessinaThe Chairman of the Permanent Observatory on Film Tourism, Special Guest, during the lecture on May 6 Economics and Business Management (in Management Course in Tourism Science) Prof. mauro ciarelli,

“As an expert in the hotel sector and as a location manager – one who researches and proposes to the director of the film ‘environments’ in which to shoot – I have always been interested in The relationship between cinema and the field and how to understand Audiovisual production impacts not only in economic terms, but also in terms of development of opportunities,Thus begins his testimony. Cineturismo is a brand he coined in 2003 as part of the Ischia Film Festival, a film festival dedicated to the locations where he is the artistic director, part of the ‘Cinema e Territorio’ project. “In the early 2000s there were no dedicated thematic studies – started again – Yet film tourism has always existed: How many places joined the collective imagination because we saw them in a movie? Today it is the subject of a thesis and, among other things, of a national conference organized as part of the Festival., Then he asks the class a question: What is this? most powerful means of communication, Viewers clearly lean toward the Internet, risking some television. rather than it’s cinema, “There’s a scientific study on this. When we enter the black box, the dark room, our brain rests, has no other distractions, and is able to absorb five times more what he sees, Aesthetics, sentimentality, entertainment: There are many factors that combine audiovisual, region and tourism. Example: “Western. I think of Sergio Leone who activated a great campaign of recognition of the region in this film genre”, It’s still there: “Roman holidays. You might not know that this was a political operation, an agreement between the Andreotti government and the United States to promote Italy abroad. This is the same principle with which Woody Allen works in films, for example For, ‘Vicky Cristina Barcelona’ or ‘Midnight in Paris'”, Shares a curiosity: “Nottingham and Sherwood Forest are the two places to which we immediately associate Robin Hood. After the release of Ridley Scott’s film, shot in Scotland, tourists began to visit Nottingham and Sherwood Forest in search of film sets, Which were definitely not there, so production was asked to move them. A movie or a TV series are advertisements for a region, “One Advertising that never ends because the audiovisual product can always be reproduced, He cites other studies and refutes some of the numbers. “One in five travelers book their vacation, intentionally or not, at a place where they have thanked for a film or fiction. Lord of the Rings has increased the number of tourists to New Zealand from 1.6 million to 2.5 million. A similar result was achieved by ‘Braveworth’ or ‘Tomb Raider’. another example: He said, “In the ‘Game of Thrones’ series, a path appears for eight seconds. It was so overrun by tourists that a trade was born in the area and it was necessary to intervene to protect the roots of the trees which were being damaged”., Then he returns to Italy. “‘The Godfather’, ‘The Postman’, ‘The Sweet Life’. They are dealing with international spreads that need no introduction. Let’s think of ‘Inspector Montalbano.’ was perceived as the land of the mafia; on the other hand, the series has changed destination”, A set can be a valid driver for promotion to a region, but there should be more: “The territory must be protected and enhanced. Services are essential. Sometimes what is missing is a function rooted in its cultural identity”He draws conclusions.

There is room for a short discussion at the end of the lesson. Among the themes, the new Campania audiovisual district, an ambitious project – a production center for the digital and animation sectors, a center for study and documentation, an incubator for companies working in the audiovisual sector – to be built in the former NATO base Must visit Bagnoli. Question: Will this really happen? Will it have a section dedicated to tourism? “This area is of great economic interest to the region as it will allow film production to film the interiors as well. An area dedicated to film tourism should be provided, but more importantly, such a structure should be provided.” It would be useful to have which is related to continuous monitoring of the impacts on the area.Answer Dr. Messina.

Carol Simioli