A visit to Pangong Tso in Ladakh may seem incomplete to many without recreating 3 Idiots scenes. A Paris itinerary may not be complete without a photograph and a hashtag inspired by Emily In Paris. Manali is synonymous with Bunny and his antics for many movie buffs.

Be it Shah Rukh Khan dancing with Rani Mukerji in Greece or Barfi! with its Darjeeling backdrop, films and TV shows are often our first window to a location when captured well on screen.

While Ted Lasso may bring you bits of London, The White Lotus has put Sicily in front of a whole new audience. From Goa’s Chapora Fort in Dil Chahta Hai to Spain in Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, Udaipur and Manali in Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani, and the lanes of Old Delhi in Delhi-6, travellers have often planned their itineraries around films and shows.

On World Tourism Day, we take you on a little tour of some of these shooting locations and how travellers plan trips around the places they have first seen on screen.

At the 8th Global Film Tourism Conclave organised by the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI) in Mumbai earlier this year, film tourism emerged as a key part of India’s destination branding and tourism strategy. “A location on screen does not remain just geography; it becomes an aspiration, memory and a dream people wish to experience for themselves,” said Suresh Gopi, Minister of State for Tourism, Government of India, in a video message.

Many travellers plan their itinerary because they want to witness or recreate the magic of a scene or a song shot at a particular location.

“Screens are increasingly shaping where people travel. According to Great Indian Travel Index report, released last year, YoY bookings on ixigo to cities across the Northeast grew sharply, Dimapur +77%, Agartala +48%, and Guwahati and Imphal +44% each, with shows like The Family Man helping bring these destinations into the spotlight. We are seeing the same internationally. Sicily, featured in The White Lotus, The Odyssey and Cocktail 2, is a great example. Since Cocktail 2 was released, bookings on our site to and from Italy are up 38% YoY,” explains Aloke Bajpai, Group CEO, ixigo.

People who visit sites shown in films are looking for more than geographical sights. “They want to recreate the scenes and backgrounds from their favourite frames, buy souvenirs, transfer emotions and see every detail related to the film’s production in this very location,” says Ravi Gosain, President, Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO).

Sanjeev Kumar, General Manager, Naukuchia House, Naukuchiatal – IHCL SeleQtions, shares, "The interest around Hanuman Ansh, Neem Karoli Baba and Kainchi Dham has renewed attention on the spiritual landscape of Kumaon. Film-led interest can encourage travellers to look beyond the screen and discover the local culture, faith, food, people and landscape. That is when storytelling becomes meaningful for a destination – when a film sparks curiosity and leads to a more personal journey."

We have seen this play out in India over the years, with films such as Dil Chahta Hai, Salaam Namaste and Bachna Ae Haseeno bringing Australia’s cities and landscapes into the homes and imaginations of Indian audiences, points out Nishant Kashikar, Country Manager, India & Gulf, Tourism Australia.

“We have been an early believer in the power of the television screen, including through our integration with the popular television show Bade Achhe Lagte Hain. These associations matter because the impact of entertainment can extend well beyond the original broadcast or theatrical release. A film or television programme can introduce a place to an audience at one point in their lives, with those images and emotions staying with them until they are ready to travel,” explains Nishant Kashikar.

Manmeet Ahluwalia, CMO, EaseMyTrip, comments, "Pangong Lake in Ladakh became associated with 3 Idiots, while Chapora Fort in Goa continues to be linked with Dil Chahta Hai. Internationally, locations across New Zealand have become part of the Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit tourism experience. In these cases, the location moves beyond being a backdrop. It becomes part of the story’s identity."

- Ladakh, especially Pangong Tso – before 3 Idiots was released in 2009, that lake saw a few hundred visitors a season. It’s now one of the most photographed spots in Indian domestic travel, largely because of one closing scene. Vendors there still rent out the scooter and the yellow raincoat from the film

- Spain, via Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara – it’s become something of a case study in Spanish tourism circles for how one film reframed a destination for an entire outbound market

- Kashmir, Goa, and Rajasthan – less tied to one film each, more a cumulative effect of decades of being Bollywood’s default backdrop for romance and drama

- Ramoji Film City, Hyderabad – this one’s slightly different since it’s a studio, not a “real” location, but it’s proof of concept for how far this can go: the Baahubali sets alone turned into a paid tourist attraction

– Prashant Daroch, founder, Atravelq

“Hobbiton is now a standalone paid attraction with its own economy. Scotland and Northern Ireland saw a similar effect from Game Of Thrones. Iceland’s landscape-driven tourism boom over the last decade has also been helped by its frequent use as a backdrop for international productions,” adds Prashant.

New Zealand’s experience offers some useful numbers. Tourism New Zealand’s visitor research for the year ending December 2025 found that 12.4% of international visitors surveyed said The Hobbit or The Lord of the Rings films influenced their decision to visit the country.

Prashant Daroch, founder, Atravelq, adds, "In our experience curating these trips, the location is the entry point, not the whole ask. What people are really chasing is recreating a specific scene or character moment, not just visiting the town."

A Booking.com spokesperson, says, "The influence of film and entertainment is becoming evident, our Travel Trends 2026 data shows that 37% of Indian travellers credit movies and TV shows for inspiring their trip choices…From Bollywood in Mumbai and anime in Tokyo, to K-drama in Seoul and fantasy realms in Wellington, these destinations have become vibrant cultural touchpoints."