Can cinema help "give wings" to promoting Vietnamese tourism?

Hoi An lanterns sparkle in a scene from the movie “A Tourist's Guide to Love”

Mallorie Lane (a French tourist) sat under the shade of a small tea shop next to the Temple of Literature, sipping tea while flipping through a “guidebook” about Vietnam. She said Vietnam’s majestic nature had left a deep impression on her since “Kong-Skull Island”. A detailed plan for a trip had been made, but had to be interrupted due to COVID-19.

Until the romantic love story of silver screen star Rachael Leigh Cook left its mark on the heritages across the S-shaped country in “A Tourist's Guide to Love” released on the online film platform Netflix in April, Mallorie could not hesitate any longer, immediately booked a ticket to go.

It can be said that the beautiful heritages and destinations of Vietnam as the backdrop for each cinematic scene have made the hearts of tourists like Mallorie flutter and urged them to step forward. More than ever, cinema is expected to become a launching pad to help promote "endless beauty" to international friends and create momentum for domestic tourism to break through after the pandemic.

Powerful effects from cinema

A destination that attracts international visitors through the appeal of a film is no longer new. So when “Slumdog Millionaire” won the Oscar, Dharavi (India) suddenly became famous. The “Lord of the Rings” trilogy and the Hobbit series also attracted a surge in visitors to New Zealand. Even “paradise Bali” (Indonesia) was forced to reduce the number of tourists after the effect of “Eat, Pray, Love” and “Ticket to Paradise” by superstar Julia Robert.

No need for international blockbusters, co-produced or "homegrown" films can also help promote the image of a Vietnam that is both unique, rich in identity, and mysterious and inviting.

The movie that was a box office phenomenon in Vietnam - "Mat Biec" has many romantic scenes filmed at famous locations.

Coming out of the screen, Sa Dec town and Huynh Thuy Le ancient house (Dong Thap), the ferry across Hau river connecting Vinh Long and Can Tho, Ha Long bay (Quang Ninh), Hoi An ancient town (Quang Nam), Notre Dame Cathedral (Ho Chi Minh City)... have made a strong impression through famous films such as "The Lover" (L'amant), "Indochine" (Indochine), "The Quiet American" (The Quiet American)... and then turned these places into unmissable stops on the journey to explore Vietnam for international tourists.

It is worth mentioning that “domestic” products also help to anchor many impressions in the minds of viewers, from the majestic Dong Van stone plateau, Ha Giang in “Pao’s Story,” the quiet Hoi An ancient town in “Ha Dong Silk Dress,” or “Buffalo Wool Season” bringing a typical flood season of the South…

Those movies have surpassed the boundaries of the big screen, creating a ripple effect in life, haunting the mind, and then helping Phu Yen's green economy grow from 12-13% to 30% after the movie "I see yellow flowers on green grass."

The number of visitors to Hue also skyrocketed after the romantic scenes of the box office phenomenon “Mat Biec.” In particular, the setting of the movie “Story of Pao” has become an indispensable tourist destination for tourists on their journey to the easternmost point of the country - Ha Giang...

Indeed, each film world has opened a door, giving domestic tourists the dream of discovering for themselves. Moreover, each film work seems to touch the experience desires of the world audience, when prestigious distributors bring them to participate in international film festivals and win awards, thereby beautiful images of Vietnam have penetrated into major film markets.

Silver screen star Rachael Leigh Cook and a scene at Vietnam's My Son Sanctuary

Only by reaching out to the audience and touching their hearts can one have journeys like Mallorie Lane's. Returning to the story of this French tourist, the reason why her mind always has images of Vietnam is after "following" Rachael Leigh Cook and Vietnamese-American actor Scott Ly around Hanoi's old town by cyclo, then wandering under the clouds and wind on the Hoai River of the ancient town of Hoi An, wandering between My Son temples, shopping at the bustling Ben Thanh market... on film.

But not stopping there, Mallorie wanted to experience everything herself in the most authentic way, wanted to taste street food with her own taste buds, hear car horns and the most Vietnamese sounds with her own ears, feel the majestic nature of Vietnam with all her senses... Of course, on that journey, she did not travel alone.

How to exploit the 'gold mine' of movie backgrounds?

With a meager budget of only about 2 million USD per year for promotion, the Vietnamese tourism industry has had to “cut its coat according to its cloth” in recent years. When videos introducing the landscape and people of Vietnam broadcast on prestigious international media channels “eat up” a large amount of money but the results are difficult to measure, now managers have found a “shortcut” that is visually effective.

According to the leader of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the fact that major film channels in the world have chosen to screen many Vietnamese films in recent times is the strongest and best way to promote Vietnam as well as tourist destinations. Thanks to its rapid spread, combining the seventh art with brands and destinations will help the tourism industry attract more international visitors, helping international friends know us better, thereby considering Vietnam as a destination.

Although the thinking of management has become more modern, when looking back, despite possessing a huge treasure trove of film backgrounds, Vietnamese cinema still makes insiders worry because it has not really exploited this "gold mine". Vietnam's beautiful landscapes and famous landscapes have not been widely promoted beyond national borders.

International tourists come to Vietnam to experience Vietnamese tea culture

According to Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Ta Quang Dong, from world experience and the initial successes of domestic cinema, the agency sees the need to further promote the connection between Vietnamese cinema brands and tourism.

“We need to supplement mechanisms and policies to attract domestic and international film crews. That is to simplify licensing procedures, provide incentives for film crews to borrow capital with low interest rates, modern facilities, create preferential policies in supporting locations, accommodation, etc.,” Deputy Minister Ta Quang Dong emphasized.

To avoid wasting potential, industry leaders believe that it is necessary to increase promotion to attract international film crews while creating favorable conditions for talented domestic filmmakers and directors to produce more attractive films for viewers.

With the policies, guidelines and thinking of management levels being more open and "flexible", along with the hope that with the "take-off" of Vietnamese cinema, the country's smokeless industry will have more "companions" on the promotion journey to soon make a breakthrough in the near future.

According to Vietnam+