Many countries have become attractive destinations for foreign travelers thanks to blockbuster movies, according to head of the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism (VNAT) Nguyen Trung Khanh.

Some localities in Vietnam, such as Quang Binh, Ninh Binh, Hoi An and Ha Long, have become more famous after receiving foreign film crews, with province locations appearing on movies screened all over the world.

Bui Van Manh, director of the Ninh Binh Tourism Department, said in 1992, after the film Indochina was screened, Tam Coc – Bich Dong tourism site in Ninh Binh became famous to foreign travelers, especially to the French.

French and European travelers now account for 80 percent of number of travelers to Tam Coc – Bich Dong each year. The filming has changed the tourist structure there. Before the filming, the site attracted few foreign travelers.

Ngo Minh Quan from Vietravel said after the film Braveheart in 1995 was shot at Wallace Monument in Scotland the number of tourists surged by 300 percent immediately after the film aired.

Most recently, the film Mission Impossible in 2023 was shot in Sydney and brought a 200 percent growth rate in number of travelers to Australia the same year.

Nguyen Chau A, CEO of Oxalis, said the company has cooperated with film crews, TV drama developers and music video units to advertise Son Doong Cave in Quang Binh. He noted that foreign filmmakers like the landscapes and scenery in Vietnam because of the diversity, uniqueness and novelty.

However, foreign filmmakers want more favorable conditions in getting licensed, and want support in ensuring order and security and maintenance of confidentiality during filming.

They also want more tax preferences, especially in VAT (value added tax) and PIT (personal income tax), for international film projects shot in Vietnam. Hollywood studios hope that Vietnam will have more professional production and logistics companies that can offer film activities at international standards, according to A.

Obstacles

Ngo Phuong Lan, President of Vietnam Cinema Promotion and Development Association, quoted Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyen Van Hung when mentioning two movies considered as two typical examples of the cooperation between the film and tourism industries – ‘Toi thay hoa vang tren co xanh’ (Yellow Flowers on Green Grass) in 2015 and ‘Kong: Skull Island’ in 2016.

Lan believes that when making a film, it’d be better to try every possible means to include tourism message in a film product. Only when movies have high value and quality will they be able to become famous and then help advertise localities and destinations. 

“If we do not do that, both the goals will be unattainable: films won’t succeed, while tourism cannot be advertised,” Lan explained.

In order to support and attract movie projects, including foreign film crews, according to Lan, Vietnam should apply preferential policies, such as offering tax incentives to filmmakers. This is a factor which will play a decisive role in attracting film crews.

“While Thailand can attract 100 film crews each year, the number of film crews Vietnam can attract is so small that they can be counted on the fingers of two hands,” Lan commented.

“They (film crews) will come to the destinations where they can enjoy preferences and the countries which warmly welcome them, instead of Vietnam if Vietnam doesn’t offer any preferences,” she said. “So, we will lose many clients."

Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Ho An Phong said Vietnam needs to learn from countries with a developed movie industry. However, when promoting tourism and movie development, Vietnam not only needs to contact large movie centers, but also should organize film promotion events in Vietnam to find out what film crews want.

Hung, affirming the high effectiveness in combining tourism and movie promotion, has said that his ministry would work with units and localities to organize programs to promote tourism advertisements together with other industries. 

There will be a tourism promotion via movie in Hollywood, on September 21-28. This is a great opportunity for Vietnam to introduce its country, people, and locations for filming.

It is expected that five contracts will be signed, under which local authorities will commit to sponsor and support film crews from the US.

Ngoc Ha