It's only make believe: the implications of fictional and authentic locations in films

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to discuss the extent to which film locations affect the decision making of tourists and overall attractiveness of film locations as tourist destinations. Design/methodology/approach The paper explores the relative appeal of fictional and authentic film locations with reference to the literature and film case study examples. Findings Arguably, the attractiveness of an actual location shown in a film is greater than a location portrayed by a film, and when tourists do visit film locations in considerable numbers, the impacts are not always beneficial. Practical implications The paper uses examples to explore the scope and related impacts of film‐induced tourism. Originality/value The paper draws on a wide range of examples to highlight the implications of fictional and authentic locations in films.