Greece: Lights, Camera.... Travel!

Film is of increasing importance to a destination since it can put a place on the map and is more effective than tourism advertisements as it is viewed by millions of people. The purpose of this thesis is to get insight in the way Greece attracts foreign film producers to the country and in what way these films can contribute to the destination branding of Greece. More specifically, this thesis presents the case study of the film Mamma Mia! which has been shot in Greece in 2008. The way this film can contribute to the destination promotion of Greece has been explored, as well as the reasons for Dutch tourists for wanting to visit a specific destination because of film. By means of analysis and interviews with key persons in the tourism industry and film industry of Greece main issues were discovered. The results are used for recommendations to the Greek National Tourism Organisation / Ministry of Tourism on how to position Greece as an interesting filming location to attract more foreign film producers to the country. Next to that it can be used for recommendations on the promotion of films that take place in Greece, in order to attract more tourists to Greece.