The Shanghai International Film Festival is capitalizing on China's film tourism trend by showcasing cinematic classics and promoting regional beauty.
Tourism Boom Driven by Films
Recent reports highlight a tourism surge in China's northwestern Qinghai province, spurred by the Lunar New Year hit Pegasus 3. Hotel bookings in Delingha rose 71% year-over-year during February, according to Qunar data. Similarly, the film Dear You has doubled flights to Shantou, Chaozhou, and Jieyang since its late-April release.
Film-Plus Campaigns
Chinese tourism and film authorities back initiatives like “film-plus,” including the China Film Administration’s “Taste Cuisine with Films” and “Shopping with Films.” The Shanghai festival's “Grand Landscape” program features 15 Chinese classics, highlighting scenic sites from 1960 onwards.
“Film tourism is quite a trend in this recent five years,” says Freda Fan, senior manager at the Shanghai International Film & TV Events Center.
Freda Fan cites films Ne Zha 2 and the Creation of the Gods series as examples that have popularized locations like Yibin in Sichuan and Henan's heritage sites. In Shanghai, films like B for Busy and Her Story have made city landmarks popular for City Walk tours.
Cinematic and Cultural Showcases
The “Grand Landscape” program encourages exploring local attractions from films, featuring classics like the 1960s musical Third Sister Liu, set against Guangxi's landscapes, and Tsui Hark’s 2014 action film The Taking of Tiger Mountain in Heilongjiang’s peaks.
Fan explains the program as “a brief history of Chinese cinema from a geography perspective,” showcasing cultural diversity and the legacy of filmmakers.
The films span regions from Tibet's mountains to Hainan's island, and the Yellow River to the Yangtze, representing varied cultural landscapes.
Economic Impact of Film Tourism
State media has extensively covered the film tourism trend, with Dear You impacting Guangdong’s economy. The China Film Administration reports that each yuan at the box office generates 15.77 yuan for related industries, notably benefiting tourism.
Fan acknowledges the limitations of showcasing only 15 films but emphasizes the effort to share China's beauty and stories through classics.
Source: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/shanghai-china-film-tourism-boom-1236620106/
