Maybe it’s the white sands and clear blue waters of Thailand’s Phi Phi from The Beach, the rugged mountain ranges and green passes of New Zealand from Lord of The Rings, or the picturesque inlets and steep coastal lines of Italy’s Amalfi coast from The Talented Mr Ripley?
Our most sought-after travel destinations are often inspired by the beautiful and dramatic landscapes we see on the big screen. Here are our top film-inspired holiday hot spots…
Movies often showcase travel destinations in a way that inspires people to visit and experience it for themselves and recent research conducted by Wotif.com revealed that Aussie’s in particular have and five favourite movies that inspire us to travel the most.
Top Flick-Inspired Travel Destinations:
The Talented Mr Ripley – The Amalfi Coast – Positano Italy
If Jude Law and Matt Damon aren’t enough of an inspiration to get your Euro-loving self to the uber picturesque Amalfi, the scenes from The Talented Mr Ripley and the gorgeous colour-specked cliffs of Positano, the Cinque Terre and every single quaint cobbled Italian street and pebbly beach should be!
James Bond – Thailand
Aussies love Asia and even though the scenes in the James Bond series have showcased destinations, from views of London from the top of the O2 Arena to Sugarloaf Mountain in Rio de Janeiro, it was James Bond Island that chalked-up another win for Thailand in the movie inspired destinations list.
Mamma Mia – Skathios, Greek Islands
The fine sand beaches, beautiful port and azure waters of Skathios in the Greek Islands was made famous in the musical movie Mamma Mia starring Meryl Streep and Pierce Brosnan and Colin Firth. Watching the star-studded cast frolicking around Skathios is enough for Aussies to make the pilgrimage to see over 60 beautiful beaches and swim in a turquoise sea, wander through forests of pine and olive trees and explore isolated chapels and monasteries. No one’s stopping you busting out an ABBA show tune while you’re there either!
The Beach – Phi Phi Island Thailand
“Even though it came out in 2000, the sandy beaches and clear blue water of Phi Phi Island in The Beach really left an impression on Aussies, with the movie still taking out the number one spot and inspiring people to travel to Thailand,” Wotif.com spokesperson Kirsty La Bruniy said.
Lord of The Rings – New Zealand
In second place, The Lord of the Rings film series has enticed both domestic and international travellers to visit New Zealand and step into Hobbiton – where it’s so lifelike that you expect Bilbo to walk out the door of Bag End to greet you.
The Sound Of Music – Austria
Surprisingly, The Sound of Music’s popularity lives on from its 1965 debut with many of the movie’s fans still making the pilgrimage to Salzburg to see where Maria set the hills alive.
Eat, Pray, Love – Bali & Italy
A more recent movie making the list is Eat, Pray, Love, which respondents revealed most inspired trips to Bali and Italy. It no doubt inspires plenty of female travellers to head to Bali to find their own Javier Bardem-esque holiday romance.
