Film-Induced Tourism Studies on Asia: A Systematic Literature Review

Abstract

This study aimed to systematically review the academic literature on film-induced tourism in Asia between 2011 and 2020 as a cross-disciplinary study, by identifying the recent trends, delineating the research gaps and the limitations of previous research, and proposing new directions for future research. Despite an increasing number of studies on film-induced tourism, Anglophonic literature, rather than studies on Asia, receive most focus. This article is the first such attempt at systematically reviewing the literature focusing on Asia. Moreover, previous literature on Asia lacks in comprehensively understanding film-induced tourism because it overlooks the cross-disciplinary perspective. This article fills this gap by synthesizing the existing literature from a cross-disciplinary perspective. Utilizing a systematic literature review approach, 67 articles were identified using one of the largest online databases, Web of Science. The results revealed three research trends: film tourism impact, destination image and marketing, and demand and motivation. The following gaps in the literature were also identified: film tourist experiences, the impact on host communities, tourism policy and regulation, the cultural construction of film tourism, and impact research from different stakeholders' perspectives. Moreover, studies on Asia benefit from expanding the existing concept of film-induced tourism by focusing on the contents rather than media. This study contributes by filling the gaps of film tourist experiences and cultural construction of film tourism. Furthermore, cross-fertilization of tourism and fandom studies is proposed. Finally, the practical contribution of the study is highlighted—the same contents can be used repeatedly in various formats for longevity.