[Edaily Oh Hee-na Reporter] “Screen tourism”—the use of movie and TV drama filming locations as tourist attractions—is emerging as a blue ocean in the global tourism market. Consequently, competition among cities overseas to monetize content assets by developing tourism itineraries and products related to these works is also heating up, as they seek to sustain the benefits over the long term.
Kamiichi Town in Toyama Prefecture, Japan, is a prime example of turning the mountain village scenery and historic houses featured in the animated film *Wolf Children* into tourist attractions. The historic house that served as the model for the home of the protagonist Hana’s family remains a popular pilgrimage site for fans to this day. Kamichi Town did not stop at simply erecting a single filming location sign; it developed a “pilgrimage” tour that connects the film’s fictional world with the actual local scenery.

Northern Ireland successfully secured the rights to film all seasons of HBO’s “Game of Thrones” (Seasons 1–8, spanning approximately 10 years) exclusively in Belfast, and continues to attract a steady stream of domestic and international tourists to this day. Thanks to hosting this long-running series—which has boosted the percentage of production staff residing in the region to around 80%—Northern Ireland has developed “studio tour” programs and is reaping significant benefits from the influx of tourists.
New Zealand, the filming location for the “Lord of the Rings” and “The Hobbit” series, is also cited as a prime example of success. Hobbiton, built in Matamata, established itself as a world-renowned film tourism destination by repurposing the sets as tourist attractions rather than dismantling them after filming concluded.
The “Sherlock Holmes” case in London, UK, is even more intriguing. “221B Baker Street”—the residence of the protagonist Sherlock Holmes, created by Arthur Conan Doyle—was established as an actual address, and the Sherlock Holmes Museum was built there. This is a prime example of transforming fictional locations and stories from the works into tangible spaces and developing them as tourism assets.
What these examples have in common is that they viewed locations not merely as filming sites but as “tourism assets.” Rather than stopping at attracting film productions, they expanded their scope to include the preservation of filming locations, the development of tourism products, guided tours, experiential content, and the sale of souvenirs. Policies that initially aimed to revitalize local areas by attracting filming locations have shifted to policies that foster the growth of the tourism and cultural industries.
This is the backdrop against which some are suggesting that local governments in Korea should evaluate the potential for turning locations into tourism assets right from the project selection stage. The idea is that, starting from the production phase, they should prepare tourism products that combine filming location tours with exhibitions, hands-on experiences, dining, lodging, and shopping.
Yoo Sang-won, Vice President of Studio Dragon, emphasized, “As seen in the examples of Hakodate, Japan, and Hobbiton, New Zealand, we must collaborate with local communities during the content production phase to design not only the spaces but also transportation routes and experiential itineraries.” He added, “Content companies must create a reason for visitors to come, while local governments must create a reason for them to stay.”