Title of Paper

Not only the beauty of scenery: How cultural landscape in movies forms an emotional bond with unvisited destinations

Author Bios (50 Words for each Author)

Linda Osti is Associate Professor at the Faculty of Economics and Management of the Free University of Bozen-Bolzano (Italy). She holds a PhD in consumer behavior in tourism from Victoria University (Australia). Her research interests include tourists´ behavior, experience, and emotions in tourism, visual research methods, tourism innovation, and competitiveness.

Nam Dang is a PhD Candidate in Tourism Management at the Faculty of Economics and Management of the Free University of Bozen-Bolzano (Italy). His research interests focus on the interplay between human activities and natural resources and its impact on societal development.

Abstract (150 Words)

This study offers a unique perspective on the relationship between people and destinations by exploring how the movie-watching experience can formulate a connection to unvisited destinations. The research aimed to understand the emotions elicited in movie audiences, how these emotions influence their connection to the depicted destinations, and their future interest in visiting these destinations. Data was collected using focus group methodology, recruiting students who voluntarily participated in one of three movie nights and conducting a group discussion following the screenings. Three movies of different genres (a Documentary, a Commercial Movie, and a Travel Video), all set in Kenya, Africa, were selected. The data were analyzed using Atlas.ti 23 software, and a thematic analysis was performed. The results showed that emotions evoked through various movie attributes such as natural landscape, cultural landscape, narrative, and character play a crucial role in forming an emotional bond with the destination depicted in movies. The findings were then used to develop a theoretical model of the movie-watching experience and its impact on pre-trip attachment and future exposure, emphasizing the significance of cultural landscape in shaping the connection with destinations placed in movies.

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Not only the beauty of scenery: How cultural landscape in movies forms an emotional bond with unvisited destinations

This study offers a unique perspective on the relationship between people and destinations by exploring how the movie-watching experience can formulate a connection to unvisited destinations. The research aimed to understand the emotions elicited in movie audiences, how these emotions influence their connection to the depicted destinations, and their future interest in visiting these destinations. Data was collected using focus group methodology, recruiting students who voluntarily participated in one of three movie nights and conducting a group discussion following the screenings. Three movies of different genres (a Documentary, a Commercial Movie, and a Travel Video), all set in Kenya, Africa, were selected. The data were analyzed using Atlas.ti 23 software, and a thematic analysis was performed. The results showed that emotions evoked through various movie attributes such as natural landscape, cultural landscape, narrative, and character play a crucial role in forming an emotional bond with the destination depicted in movies. The findings were then used to develop a theoretical model of the movie-watching experience and its impact on pre-trip attachment and future exposure, emphasizing the significance of cultural landscape in shaping the connection with destinations placed in movies.