Travel Blog #2: Movie Tourism
There is little doubt that Crocodile Dundee, the movie, created some sparks of motivation for people to travel to Australia. But would they have seen many Ozzies hypnotising water buffalo to get them off the road? Doubt it.
Point Break - a nice little Hollywood surf movie. The story reaches its crescendo when Keanu and Patrick Swayze go for a surf at Bells Beach, Australia. Funny thing is that I have surfed Bells many times and have never seen Norfolk Pine trees lining the beach…
The point is that movies often generate travel in that people sometimes want to go there to the place they have seen on the big screen, and witness it first hand. This is great. Its a good way of starting the travel experience by just dreaming of going there and doing it “just like Keanu”. The fact is that what people actually see at the destination will not always be what the movie portrayed it as.
I’m looking forward to seeing Brokeback Mountain, and hearing the review on the Movie Show (http://movie.thepodcastnetwork.com/).
However, I thought it would be interesting to share some of the following “its not actually filmed in Wyoming” story from Associated Press with you. You see, while the phone of Chuck Coon, Wyoming Business Council (WBC) spokesman, has been running hot with calls about travelling to where Brokeback Mountain was filmed (it is set in “Wyoming”), it was actually shot in Alberta, Canada. The WBC say’s:
“When we tell them it was shot in Canada, they’re still interested in Wyoming,” said Michell Howard, manager of the Business Council’s film, arts and entertainment office. “They don’t hang up and call Alberta. They’re intrigued in the story.” http://www.billingsgazette.com/index.php?id=1&display=rednews/2006/01/29/build/wyoming/40-brokeback-wyo.inc
I guess its a matter of enjoying whatever film you are watching, not getting hung on facts, and not being dissapointed if you do actually go to some place you saw in a movie and find that it’s not quite what you expected. But do accept this: budgetary constraints are a part of life, even in Hollywood.