Sri Lanka’s very first targeted attempt at film tourism

By Dimithri Wijesinghe It’s pretty obvious that a popular movie can increase tourism to the film’s location; look up “Tolkien tourism” to see the effect that Peter Jackson’s epic adaptation of The Lord of the Rings trilogy had on tourism in New Zealand. Sri Lanka, with her beautiful beaches and perfect year-round weather, is finally catching on and has decided to show off what we’ve got in a way that could attract foreign audiences. Former United Nations (UN) Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka and current Ambassador-designate to China Dr. Palitha Kohona has suggested, and consequently set in motion, the production of a motion picture for the Chinese market, targeting the upper middle-class tourist groups of China. Speaking to Dr. Kohona, he shared that 169 million Chinese travelled to foreign destinations, and Thailand alone attracted over 26 million Chinese tourists in 2019. Sadly, if you look at the number of Chinese tourists who travelled to Sri Lanka, it was a measly 265,000 in 2018. Dr. Kohona said there is absolutely no reason why this number could not be in the millions. He mentioned how the Chinese film Lost in Thailand, a hit movie directed by Xu Zheng and released in late 2012, featuring Chinese men travelling to and across Thailand, which experienced a lot of success in the mainland, became the highest grossing movie of all time in China when it was released. Dr. Kohona said that if we are able to do for Sri Lanka what that film did for Thailand, it would benefit the island greatly. The film was packed to the brim with Thai icons from ladyboys to Buddhist statues, and Chinese travel agencies were quick off the mark to offer tailored tours to key locations featured in the movie, resulting in Chinese tourists being the single biggest source of inbound tourism to Thailand.  

Countries that have benefited

One of the most magical things about movies is their ability to transport viewers to new places and make them feel like they are a part of those settings. A tried and true technique for a lot of filmmakers is to scout real-world locations that suit their visual needs and set up production there. When we think about several such productions, some major motion pictures come to our minds, bringing the real-life settings a boost in foot traffic as a result of their popularity. Some of the most iconic locations are from The Lord of the Rings trilogy. This phenomenon of attracting tourists incentivised by the film has come to be known as “Tolkien tourism”, and the locations throughout New Zealand where the film was shot have been preserved and altered to encourage tourism, an industry that makes up a significant portion of the country’s economy. There’s also Steven Spielberg’s Jurassic Park featuring the fictional “fecund Isla Nublar”, which was actually filmed on the island of Oahu that has since drawn in loads of cinematic tourists over the years due to the film’s popularity. There are several types of film tourists representing all economic strata and social classes. We are able to differentiate between “serendipitous tourists”, who happen to be on a location that is portrayed in the film; “general film tourists”, who are attracted to the film set as a part of their other tourism activities; and “specific film tourists”, who specifically search for places they have previously seen on screen. For general, and even more for specific film tourists, the main motivation is to see the film’s backdrop first-hand because of the aesthetic impression it has left on them, or to absorb its atmosphere or setting for heightened identification.  

Is it sustainable tourism?

We asked Dr. Kohona as to why it has taken so long for Sri Lanka to make this happen. While he quite diplomatically opted not to answer, we can see for ourselves the benefits we stand to reap as academic research points out that “movie-induced tourism” can be great for local economies, and not only in the short term. As the research by Riley, Baker, and Van Doren suggests, the tourism spike courtesy of a film can last between three and four years for most popular films. A film featuring a city or tourist destination can be one of the most effective methods of marketing to potential tourists, far more effective than running advertising encouraging tourism, as such traditional methods are said to barely touch the viral effect of a movie profiling a location in a unique way. It has become a proven concept to the extent that governments offer incentives for filmmakers to create a movie set in their country, as it not only brings jobs, but also brings tourism in a lasting form. Countries like Estonia offer up to 30% cash rebate for film productions; Hungary provides 25% tax incentive on eligible expenses; and Croatia, where a portion of the hit HBO show Game of Thrones was filmed, offers 20% rebate on qualifying Croatian expenditure.  

Chandran Rutnam to produce ‘Crystal-Jade’

Dr. Kohona shared that the idea should be attributed more to veteran filmmaker Chandran Rutnam, who, together with China-Sri Lanka Culture and Tourism Development (CHENGDU) CO (CSCTDC), has taken the initiative to project Sri Lanka as a favoured destination for Chinese tourists via the feature film. The Sunday Morning Brunch spoke to Chandran Rutnam, who shared with us the nature of the film they hope to produce. He stated that it most certainly will not be a travel log, as “people no longer care for travel logs; it has been done, they are not engaging, and many end up fast-forwarding through the content”. They hope to create an engaging narrative, taking place both in China and Sri Lanka, and adopt a subtle way of allowing for the Chinese movie fans to develop a connection with Sri Lanka – planting the seed of where they’d wish to visit Sri Lanka one day, having experienced it through the film. Rutnam shared the film will be a Chinese film, starring Chinese actors and having a Chinese director, and would be specifically tailored to the Chinese market. He said he would be producing the film and has accepted the responsibility of gathering the funds for it, sharing that he will likely take on a co-director position as he may be an asset when the production moves to Sri Lanka and be able to offer his experience in moving the project forward in a smooth manner. He said there is a large untapped market in China. When asked why it must be a Chinese film, he shared that Chinese people do not care much for the English language as it is not their priority. So if you wish to appeal specifically to them, then it must be Chinese. According to Rutnam, he has great contacts in China and therefore, they are able to secure a renowned Chinese director who wishes to cast current actors who would attract audiences to go see the film. He said the film is titled “Crystal-Jade” and they have begun the writing process. They have also made an initial draft of the synopsis, which has been shared with Chinese scriptwriters who will work on it together with some of our own. Rutnam shared that whilst this is somewhat experimental for Sri Lanka, it is a practical investment, adding that once the pandemic lifts, they will fast-track the process.