Many tourists in Paris are now opting for a tour of the Latin Quarter, following in the footsteps of Emily in Paris. They visit the city specifically to see the iconic locations featured in the popular Netflix series.
Film tourism, the desire to visit filming locations, is not a new phenomenon, but it has become much more widespread since 2018 due to the rise of streaming platforms.
A recent study conducted by the Centre National de la Cinématographie (CNC) has revealed that foreign TV series or series intended for foreign platforms that were shot in France are extremely popular among tourists. As per the study, 79% of the surveyed tourists claimed to have watched at least one of the listed series, a significant increase from 39% in 2018.
The Chinese Are Very Interested in French Fiction
French fiction has become a significant attraction for tourists. According to a recent survey, eight out of ten foreigners say that French films or TV series have motivated them to visit France. One in ten tourists decided to visit France solely because of the French movies or series they watched. Interestingly, the Chinese, who have little exposure to French fiction, are the most receptive to it. They are more likely to be motivated to visit France by the films and series made in France than tourists from other countries. The two most well-known French television series among tourists are Emily in Paris (38% of film tourists in France mentioned it) and Lupin (11%). Even purely French dramas like Intouchables and Le fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain are popular with foreign tourists.
One French Tourist in Four Has Visited a Film Location
According to the CNC, 22% of French visitors visited a film location after watching a movie. The survey showed that Parisians under the age of 35 are more likely to visit these locations. The two most popular films that boosted tourist numbers in the Nord and Arcachon Basins were Bienvenue chez les Ch'tis (Welcome to the Sticks) and Les Petits Mouchoirs (The Little Handkerchiefs). HPI and Plus belle la vie, which featured the Nord and Marseille regions, were two of the most popular series among French tourists.
Thanks to streaming platforms, audiovisual productions have become an effective tool to promote different regions. This, according to the CNC, has resulted in a positive image of various destinations. However, one downside of such promotions is that they can lead to overcrowding of the sites due to the buzz effect. For instance, in Étretat, a seaside resort with a population of 1,200, over 10,000 visitors flood the town daily during summer to see the cliffs made famous by the Lupin series, which have become Instagrammable spots.