Georgia, Croatia and Italy are discovering that sometimes the best tourism advertisement is hiding inside a movie. Travellers are increasingly turning scenes they have watched on screens into real-world itineraries, chasing landscapes, streets, castles and islands featured in films and television series. From Georgia’s mountains to Dubrovnik’s famous fantasy backdrops and Sicily’s sudden Hollywood spotlight, cinematic tourism is transforming the way destinations are discovered. And yes, Europe’s tourism industry has noticed.
The Screen Is Becoming the New Travel Brochure
Film tourism, also called screen tourism or set-jetting, is hardly a brand-new phenomenon. What has changed is its scale.
Streaming platforms and global film releases can expose relatively unfamiliar locations to audiences across dozens of countries almost instantly. A viewer who falls in love with a landscape can now identify the location, search for flights and build an entire holiday around it before the credits have even finished rolling.
That creates a powerful tourism pipeline: watch the destination, search the destination, book the destination.
Research into Dubrovnik found a significant positive effect on tourist arrivals following its use as a filming location for Game of Thrones, demonstrating that screen exposure can translate into measurable tourism demand.
Georgia Wants Travellers to See the Real-Life Backdrop
Georgia is emerging as an intriguing part of Europe’s wider cinematic tourism conversation.
Its appeal begins with landscapes that already look almost unreal. The Caucasus mountains, medieval villages, historic architecture and dramatic valleys provide natural settings for productions while offering travellers a mix of adventure, culture and photography.
Tbilisi adds another layer, with its historic streets, sulphur baths and distinctive architecture. Svaneti, meanwhile, brings mountain scenery and traditional tower houses that can make even an ordinary road trip feel cinematic.
Georgia’s tourism promotion is increasingly using storytelling and themed travel experiences to connect visitors with the country’s culture and landscapes, while film-inspired travel gives destinations another route into the international imagination.
Dubrovnik Has Already Mastered the Formula
If Georgia is emerging, Dubrovnik is the veteran.
Croatia’s historic coastal city became internationally famous as King’s Landing in Game of Thrones. The medieval walls, Fort Lovrijenac and surrounding landscapes became recognisable to millions of viewers.
The cinematic connection remains a tourism asset, but Dubrovnik is now trying to balance that popularity with sustainable visitor management. In 2026, the European Commission recognised the city as the European Green Pioneer of Smart Tourism, highlighting its work on sustainable, inclusive and digital tourism.
That is an important development because cinematic tourism can be a blessing and a headache at the same time. More visitors mean more spending for hotels, restaurants, guides and attractions, but famous locations can also become crowded.
Dubrovnik is therefore showing Europe what happens after the film-tourism boom arrives: managing the crowds becomes just as important as attracting them.
Italy Gets Its Latest Hollywood Moment
Italy’s relationship with cinema is practically impossible to separate from its tourism identity, but 2026 has delivered a fresh example.
Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey has placed the Sicilian island of Favignana under a global spotlight. The island represented Ithaca in the production, and local authorities are now preparing to capitalise on the renewed international attention.
The economic impact was already visible during filming. Production generated employment for around 500 local people and between €1 million and €2 million in local spending. A permanent exhibition linked to the film is also planned.
For Favignana, the challenge is obvious: turn cinematic curiosity into longer, responsible stays rather than a sudden wave of visitors arriving simply to photograph one location.
London Has Turned Film Tourism Into an Experience
The United Kingdom has arguably the most developed screen-tourism ecosystem in this group.
London’s streets, landmarks and neighbourhoods have appeared in productions ranging from Harry Potter and James Bond to Sherlock Holmes, Paddington and Love Actually. Visit London actively promotes film locations and movie-themed experiences, including walking tours and self-guided routes.
Film London has also identified tourism and international profile as wider benefits of the capital’s screen industries.
So the visitor is not merely told, “This is where the film was shot.” The location becomes an experience, a walking route, a tour or a themed attraction.
Malta Is Playing the Same Game
Malta is another European destination benefiting heavily from international productions.
The island has hosted more than 30 major film and television projects annually in recent years, including Gladiator II and Jurassic World Rebirth. Its film industry is supported by generous production incentives, while an €80 million studio complex is planned.
The tourism opportunity is obvious: productions bring money during filming, while the finished films can keep attracting visitors long afterwards.
Key Stats
• Favignana film-production employment: around 500 locals
• Favignana production spending: €1–2 million
• Dubrovnik: 2026 European Green Pioneer of Smart Tourism
• Malta productions: 30+ annually in recent years
• Malta record productions: 36 in both 2023 and 2025
• London: dedicated film-location tours and experiences
• Global film tourism: projected to reach $157.5 billion by 2036, according to industry research cited by Reuters.
Travel Guide for Cinematic Tourism
Travellers interested in screen tourism can build itineraries around individual filming locations or combine them with conventional sightseeing.
Dubrovnik Airport is the main gateway for Dubrovnik. Rome and Sicily are served by several international airports, while London has Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Luton and London City airports. Tbilisi International Airport is Georgia’s principal international gateway.
The local currencies are the Georgian lari (GEL), euro (EUR) in Croatia, Italy and Malta, and pound sterling (GBP) in the UK.
FAQ
1. What is cinematic tourism?
It is travel motivated partly or primarily by films and television programmes, particularly visits to recognisable filming locations.
2. Which European destination is famous for Game of Thrones tourism?
Dubrovnik, Croatia, is one of Europe’s best-known screen-tourism destinations, having served as King’s Landing.
3. Why is film tourism valuable to destinations?
Productions can create immediate economic activity while the finished film or series provides long-term international exposure that can encourage future travel.
Timeline and Events
2015: Dubrovnik’s screen exposure from Game of Thrones was followed by documented positive tourism effects in academic research.
2023 and 2025: Malta recorded 36 film productions in each of those years.
2026: Dubrovnik was named European Green Pioneer of Smart Tourism.
August 2026: Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey brought renewed global attention to Favignana and its filming locations.
Conclusion
Europe’s cinematic tourism boom is proving that travellers no longer need a traditional brochure to discover somewhere new. A dramatic mountain scene, medieval fortress or sun-drenched island on screen can become the spark for an international journey. Georgia is building its place in this emerging market, Dubrovnik has already become a case study, while Italy, Malta and the UK are turning productions into tourism experiences. The clever destinations will be the ones that capture the screen-inspired visitor without allowing popularity to overwhelm the places that made audiences fall in love with them.
